The Hadrian's Wall Research Framework, presented in two volumes with a sleeve, represents the culmination of over two years of discussions by a wide range of Wall scholars. Indeed, the list of contributors both to the volumes and the seminars on the research framework process is an impressive who's who of those currently undertaking research in the Hadrian's Wall area.

Divided into eight thematic groups, Vol. 1 represents an assessment of our current knowledge base not only for the Wall itself and its accompanying installations (including civil settlements and the Vallum), but also for the Stanegate and Cumberland coast installations. The same eight groups continue in Vol. 2, which is divided into a research agenda, where key gaps in knowledge are identified, and a research strategy, highlighting prioritised sets of objectives for enhancing and improving the knowledge base recorded in Vol. 1 and addressing gaps identified in the strategy. Although separated, the three sections mesh well together, thanks to the thematic groups. The summary to the framework states that it is to be a living document, with the agenda and strategy reviewed and, if necessary, revised at five-yearly intervals — an ambitious and laudable target, although elsewhere it is noted that it is intended that the strategies look forward and plan for the next 30 years.

The eight groups themselves (pre-Roman archaeology on the isthmus; the pre-Hadrianic frontier and Stanegate; the Wall; forts and extramural settlement; landscape and environment; production and procurement; life and society; and the post-Roman archaeology a.d. 400–1000) present a comprehensive summary of current knowledge, preceded by an excellent overview of the historical framework of the Wall. These ultimately lead to the research questions and methods proposed in the second volume.

Despite a plethora of volumes recently published on Hadrian's Wall, many to coincide with the 2009 Pilgrimage of the Wall and Limes Congress (Roman Frontier Studies) held in Newcastle upon Tyne, the framework provides a useful addition. Vol. 1 presents an extremely valuable overview of our current state of knowledge, laid out in a coherent manner within the thematic groups. The themes outlining landscape and environment and production and procurement are particular highlights. One minor criticism would be that, at times, there are clear differences in the work of the different authors of, for example, the gazetteer of forts on the Wall: the structure is consistent but different approaches have been adopted. Indeed, the volumes would have benefited from more consistent copy-editing, with a number of spelling and grammatical errors noted, together with occasional mislabelling of illustrations. Although well illustrated, the volumes are let down by a lack of source attribution for many of the drawings, some of which would benefit from clearer labelling (for example, the reader is placed at a disadvantage when trying to interpret the detail in some of the drawings), limited cross-referencing between illustrations and text, and a lack of maps, disappointing given the recent work undertaken on the production of a detailed archaeological map of the Wall (An Archaeological Map of Hadrian's Wall, 1:25000 scale (English Heritage, 2010)).

Indeed, one wonders if the whole of the first volume would work better as an online resource (provided all interested users have access to computers). Although drafts of the framework and other related project documents are available as online pdfs (http://www.dur.ac.uk/archaeological.services/research_training/hadrianswall_research_framework/, last accessed 7 January 2011), a searchable online database (perhaps in a wiki format to enable the multiple contributors to continue to update the resource assessment over time) linked to local and national records, would have been a more effective method of presenting the information, enabling better cross-referencing between the various sections and more illustrative material. This could also have a map browser application, enhancing access to the available maps and potentially air photographs and English Heritage's excellent National Mapping Programme for the Wall and surrounding area. The lack of an available Hadrian's Wall Geographic Information System (GIS) is highlighted in the framework, and it is remarkable that one of Britain's most famous archaeological sites and an early inscription on the World Heritage Site list does not have the data readily accessible on a GIS for research and management. One framework contribution highlights the potential of a GIS as leading to ‘integrated and innovative analysis of a wide range of information’. Given the vast body of data that we already possess on the Wall, together with the research questions demonstrating just how much there is still to find out, this should be a priority for the organisations concerned with leading on the management and research of the Wall, as identified in this research framework. Indeed, in offering this valuable summary of current knowledge about Hadrian's Wall, these volumes, far from demonstrating that we know all there is to know, rather show how much there is still to find out.