Citation: Richards, J.; Brimblecombe, P. Tuning and Effectiveness in Heritage Models. Heritage 2023, 6, 5516–5523. https://doi.org/10.3390/ heritage6070290 Received: 17 June 2023 Accepted: 11 July 2023 Published: 21 July 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). heritage Editorial Tuning and Effectiveness in Heritage Models Jenny Richards 1,2 and Peter Brimblecombe 3, * 1 St John’s College, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3JP, UK; jennifer.richards@sjc.ox.ac.uk 2 School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK 3 Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804201, Taiwan * Correspondence: p.brimblecombe@uea.ac.uk Abstract: Modelling can explore heritage responses to environmental pressures over wide spatial and temporal scales, testing both theory and process. However, compared to other fields, modelling approaches are not yet as common in heritage management. Some heritage models have become well known, though they struggle to have an impact beyond academia, with limited practical applications. Successful models appear to be adaptable to multiple sites or objects, intuitive to use, run using widely available software and produce output translatable into practical actions. Model tuning is also vital for the model to be effective. A specific purpose should be determined from the outset to enable tuning in the earliest design stages. Heritage models can be developed to explore theories or processes that affect or interact with heritage. Input should also be tuned to relevant temporal and spatial scales and consider duration and location. Additionally, it is important to account for materials and elements specific to heritage. Models need to be useful and usable if they are to be effective. User-friendly programs and interfaces help practical use. However, success can create problems, as input and output could become socially or commercially sensitive. The wider use of models may require broader discussion among heritage professionals and the provision of training. Keywords: climate change; heritage climate; purpose; process; theory; scale; material; applicability 1. Introduction Heritage sites and objects possess a uniqueness that makes them irreplaceable [1]. However, heritage faces many threats, which can result in a loss of artistic worth and evidential value [2,3], although others might see this as an acceptable process of change [4]. Heritage practitioners and scientists need novel approaches to investigate processes that pose a threat to heritage to manage the pressures at heritage sites [5]. The methods used in field experiments can be highly constrained due to the potential for causing damage to objects or sites, and laboratory experiments take place in highly controlled conditions. Modelling methods allow for a safe mode of experimentation that can incorporate multiple processes over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales and enable the testing of both theory and process regimes. Within the heritage field, several models have become well known, and their find- ings are frequently cited. Examples include the model output of future heritage climate developed under EU-funded projects, such as NOAHs ARK [6] and Climate for Culture [7]. However, these models, along with ones published in the recent academic literature, have often struggled to have a substantial impact on practice, predominantly remaining within the academic sphere [8]. The use of models in heritage science has been relatively uncom- mon when compared with other practical fields [8]. When models are used in practice, such applications are often recorded in the grey literature, which can limit a widening readership. Models that have gained broader adoption in practical contexts and influenced heritage management have tended to be: (i) adaptable to multiple sites or objects, (ii) intuitive to use, with, for example, a graphical user interface, (iii) run using widely available software and (iv) produce outputs that are Heritage 2023, 6, 5516–5523. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6070290 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/heritage