The selection, appraisal and retention of digital scientific data: dighlights of an ERPANET/CODATA workshop

CODATA and ERPANET collaborated to convene an international archiving workshop on the selection, appraisal, and retention of digital scientific data, which was held on 15-17 December 2003 at the Biblioteca Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal. The workshop brought together more than 65 researchers, data and information managers, archivists, and librarians from 13 countries to discuss the issues involved in making critical decisions regarding the long-term preservation of the scientific record. One of the major aims for this workshop was to provide an international forum to exchange information about data archiving policies and practices across different scientific, institutional, and national contexts. Highlights from the workshop discussions are presented

Closing the loop: assisting archival appraisal and information retrieval in one sweep

In this article, we examine the similarities between the concept of appraisal, a process that takes place within the archives, and the concept of relevance judgement, a process fundamental to the evaluation of information retrieval systems. More specifically, we revisit selection criteria proposed as result of archival research, and work within the digital curation communities, and, compare them to relevance criteria as discussed within information retrieval's literature based discovery. We illustrate how closely these criteria relate to each other and discuss how understanding the relationships between the these disciplines could form a basis for proposing automated selection for archival processes and initiating multi-objective learning with respect to information retrieval

Review of Betty Medsger, The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover's Secret FBI Files (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014)

Review of the book concerning the 1971 theft of Hoover files documenting his secret files of surveillance

Towards an Understanding of Needs, Capabilities and Alignment Mechanisms in Digital Preservation: Results from an Explorative Case Study

Today digital information is conceived as a firm’s most important asset whose availability cannot be taken for granted. As part of an effort to sustain its availability which is threatened by expeditiously changing technologies associated with the risk of obsolete software and hardware, digital preservation (DP) provides effective means. However, to date little is known about DP in the firm. Our study is the first to fill this gap and seeks to provide a deeper understanding of a firm’s DP needs, capabilities and alignment mechanisms. We use a multiple-case design to analyze three firms and adopt the information processing theory as our theoretical lens. We find lacking decision making procedures and organizational responsibilities hampering the alignment between DP needs and capabilities facilitating a culture of information hoarding. Based on the consolidated results we suggest a set of propositions to explain DP needs, capabilities and alignment mechanisms

Stakeholders in the selection of digital material for preservation: relationships, responsibilities, and influence

Selecting digital material for preservation in libraries, archives, and museums is a necessary task but has not been widely examined, although the nature of digital material challenges traditional methods of selecting. This article examines the social context of selection in institutions, in which the responsibilities of stakeholders and relationships between them can affect the material chosen for preservation by practitioners. A range of stakeholders is identified; relationships between practitioners, information technology staff, and sources of material are found to be crucial. The influence of senior managers is important in providing a mandate and encouraging shared working and networks of expertise

Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography 2010

This selective bibliography includes over 500 articles, books, and technical reports that are useful in understanding digital curation and preservation. The Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography includes published articles, books, and technical reports. All included works are in English. The bibliography does not cover conference papers, digital media works (such as MP3 files), editorials, e-mail messages, letters to the editor, presentation slides or transcripts, unpublished e-prints, or weblog postings. Most sources have been published between 2000 and the present; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 2000 are also included

Living Legacies: Recovering Data from 5¼” Floppy Disk Storage Media for the Commodore 64

In an attempt to investigate the challenges of recovering and preserving digital objects from legacy systems this case study focuses on working with a particular storage medium and computing hardware. This study illustrates the physical and representational challenges that result from recovering data created with a Commodore 64 computer and stored on 5¼" floppy disks. A system for classifying types of digital objects found in the sample of recovered data was developed. This study contributes to the discourse of collecting institutions engaged in digital preservation and provides examples of ad hoc solutions for working through the challenges of recovering meaningful information from legacy systems. The issues that come to light in this study can be extended beyond the context of the Commodore 64 to include other types of digital resources and computing artifacts that will potentially cross the archival threshold in the near future

Selection of digital material for preservation in libraries, archives and museums

Digital material has different preservation requirements than non-digital and is at greater risk of loss unless deliberate preservation activities are undertaken. Digital preservation is an on-going managed process designed to enable continued use of digital material for as long as necessary. Much of the digital preservation research to date has focused on understanding technical steps in preserving digital objects and there has been less attention paid to assumptions about selection and the conceptual underpinnings of practice. Selection is done, not conceptualised. Therefore the aim of this research was to investigate the theory and practice of selection for digital preservation in UK memory institutions. The objectives employed to achieve this aim were firstly to examine the underlying theory relating to selection in libraries, archives and museums of non-digital material. The research then went on to investigate who the stakeholders are in selection, how selection of digital material is performed and identifying the key influential factors in selection. An intensive, qualitative approach was used to complete these objectives. A thorough review of the literature provided a theoretical background to selection in libraries, archives and museums. Then preliminary data were gathered through a set of exploratory interviews with eight digital preservation experts in order to provide an overview of selection for digital preservation. The findings from these interviews then formed the basis for the second set of interviews with twenty five practitioners working in libraries, archives and museums. The views of practitioners were under-explored in the literature although it is they that perform selection. In addition to these interviews, twenty two current digital preservation policies were examined. This research has found that there is on the whole little change required for selecting digital material, in comparison to selecting non-digital material, although technical criteria relating to the ability of the institution to manage and preserve the material are of high importance. There is a clear assumption in institutions of selection leading only to permanent collecting, which should be questioned. This research has uncovered drivers to selection, including external funders, and barriers, which include a lack of confidence and knowledge on the part of practitioners in how to select and manage digital material. Concepts identified through this research provide a deeper understanding of selection for digital preservation in different contexts and encapsulate key factors underpinning selection. The concept of professionalism is a key factor; the need to be professional and ethical guide s practitioners through specific professional skills and knowledge. The practitioners become engaged with digital material and the level of engagement mirrors the way digital material is conceptualised by practitioners. Many stakeholders were identified, including managers, senior managers, users, creators and donors, funders, other organisations and IT staff. Relationships with stakeholders and the possible roles they play in selection were found to be key factors in selection. These findings contributed to the achievement of the final objective, which was to develop a conceptual model of key factors underpinning selection for of digital material for preservation. The conceptual model consists of five main concepts and their relationships: professionalism; relationships; organisational capabilities; material properties; and boundaries. There is a clear need for greater availability and access to training and networking opportunities for practitioners in order to increase engagement with digital material. Through this research, factors relating to selection have been identified and conceptualised. It has uncovered issues not previously addressed, in particular relating to the social aspect of selection. This research provides an understanding of the complexities of selection and the influences upon it

A strategic framework for digital preservation capability maturity readiness in the context of e-government in the public service in Botswana

This study assessed the digital preservation capability maturity readiness within the context of e-government in Botswana Public Service with a view to developing a strategic framework that ensures digital continuity. There some studies that have been conducted in Botswana regarding digital preservation but they did not provide a framework which could be used as an assessment to check their capability in digital preservation as e-government progresses so that digital information is continuously being used for decision making over time. The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm and embedded mixed method approach; whereby a cross sectional survey and case study were deployed in each of the 6 selected ministries as a unit of analysis. The target study respondents comprises of 5 Senior Managers, 4 Managers - Human Resources and Administration, 6 ICT Managers, 40 Records Management Officers,12 Information Technology Officers, 1 Performance Improvement Coordinator, 1 Project Manager, 8 Archivists, 1 Assistant Deputy Manager and 1 Deputy Managers- Management Services. The data was collected through interviews, questionnaires, personal observations, and documents analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected sequentially and simultaneously where one form of data supported or complemented each other so as to have one form of data play a supportive role to the other. Data analysis was achieved through the triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative data in order to yield a single interpretation and conclusion drawn. The findings of the study showed that the Botswana Public Service has no unified national information systems used to manage public sector records leading to some ministries adopting their own electronic records management systems. Currently few ministries have implemented the electronic records management system and majority of the digital records are not preserved due to lack of preservation guidelines and strategies. The study further established the lack of preservation policies and skills in managing and preserving digital records in Botswana Public Service. In that regard, the study developed a strategic framework for digital preservation capability maturity readiness in the context of e-government in the Botswana Public Sector. The ultimate aim of the framework is to ensure digital continuity and make sure that e-government is sustained for the benefit of an open government and increased participatory citizenry.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science