In this poster we present the preliminary output of a study meant to analyze the applicability of the InSPECT Assessment Framework to a particular kind of complex digital artifact: video games. We discuss open issues and possible improvements in the assessment workflow

Sacchi, Simone

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Columbia University Academic Commons

Simone Sacchi, Jerome P. McDonough {sacchi1, jmcdonou}@illinois.edu Graduate School of Library and Information Science — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Significant properties of complex digital artifacts Open issues from a video game case study Complexity and Significant Properties The Investigating the Significant Properties of Electronic Content Over Time (InSPECT) Assessment Framework was developed to help digital curators identify and select significant properties to be preserved.  The framework has been tested and evaluated against four basic object types: Audio Recordings, Structured Text, Raster Images, and E-mail. These object types, while common, are not representative of the entire population of digital artifacts, justifying an investigation into the framework’s performance in terms of scalability and expressiveness with more complex artifacts.  In this poster we present the preliminary output of a study analyzing the applicability of the InSPECT assessment framework to a particular kind of complex digital artifact: video games. In this poster we present the preliminary output of a study meant to analyze the applicability of the InSPECT assessment framework to a particular kind of complex digital artifact: video games. Conclusion Complex digital artifact manifest representation issues that were not covered in the InSPECT case studies. We believe the result to contribute to the discussion on significant property as a central concept in the development of preservation strategies for complex digital artifacts. Acknowledgments The Preserving Virtual Worlds II project has been made possible by funding from the Institute for Museum & Library Services (Grant no. LG-06-10-0160-10). Simone Sacchi would like to thank the PVW2 group for the opportunity to join the team, and in particular Jerome McDonough the many inspirations. References [1]   Dappert, A. and Farquhar, A. 2009. Significance is in the eye of the stakeholder. Proceedings of the 13th European conference on Research and advanced technology for digital libraries (Berlin, Heidelberg, 2009), 297–308. [2]   Grace, S., Knight, G. and Montague, L. 2009. InSPECT Final Report. King’s College London. [3]   Hedstrom, M. and Lee, C.A. 2002. Significant properties of digital objects: definitions, applications, implications. Proceedings of the DLM-Forum (2002), 218–27. [4]   Hockx-Yu, H. and Knight, G. 2008. What to preserve?: significant properties of digital objects. International Journal of Digital Curation. 3, 1 (2008). [5]   IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions 1998. Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records: Final Report. K.G. Saur. [6]   Knight, G. 2009. InSPECT Framework Report. [7]   Knight, G. 2010. Significant Properties Testing Report: Electronic Mail. [8]   Knight, G. and Pennock, M. 2009. Data without meaning: Establishing the significant properties of digital research. International Journal of Digital Curation. 4, 1 (2009). [9]   Matthews, B., McIlwrath, B., Giaretta, D. and Conway, E. 2008. The Significant Properties of Software: A Study. JISC report, March. (2008). [10] Sacchi, S., Wickett, K.M., Renear, A.H. and Dubin, D.S. 2011. A Framework for Applying the Concept of Significant Properties to Datasets. Proceedings of the 74rd ASIS&T Annual Meeting (New Orleans, LA, 2011).  Representation Information  supports only the  performance  of   Digital Objects  Entity conflation & properties assignment InSPECT identifies structural properties meant to “describe the extrinsic or intrinsic relationship between two or more types of content, as required to reconstruct the performance”.  Ø  Components of Video Games: they are not ancillary objects that possibly stand in a relation with the video game, they necessarily participate in the identity construction of the game itself. Ø  The network of dependencies: the relation between components — and the way they participate in instantiating the video game — is more than a structural relation between content types. An example  Consider the characteristic of having a particular on-screen resolution: Ø  Oregon Trail II, as a game, has a resolution of 640x480 pixel. Ø  The videos included in the Macintosh version of the game have a resolution of 640x440 pixel.                   The same property, namely “having a particular resolution”, has a different value for game components and a different significance. Therefore two different significant properties must be recorded and assigned to the correct entities: the game and a specific component — a video — of the game.   Strategies need to be identified to adapt the InSPECT framework workflow to compositionality  Data Objects and significance InSPECT assumes a consistency of functionality for Information Objects of a particular object type for which significant properties are identified. Ø  Consistency: object type consistency does not appear to exist in the case of complex digital artifacts such as games. Ø  Data Objects: there is a level of significance connected to the specific Data Object we chose (or are forced to chose) as preservation object, but separate from that of the information object.  An example  We have examined several versions of Oregon Trail within our research: Ø  Two of the early versions are BASIC programs written for CDC mainframes for which we have the source code.  Ø  Oregon Trail II is distributed on a CD-ROM that includes both the Windows and the Macintosh version of the game, but for which source code is not available.   While these versions are clearly of the same object type their functionality (and significant properties) are very different.            Different manifestations enable different functionality for users, and enable and constrain different actions on the part of curators   Object type identification “The evaluator analyses a representative sample of an object type, identifies a set of functions and behaviors that may be achieved, and the properties that are necessary for their performance”. Ø  Is there a type? Video games manifest an extreme degree of variation in content and expected behaviors that challenges the assignment of a clearly defined set of significant properties to the whole class of such objects.  Ø  Type vs. Instances: While video game is an object type, the core properties that can be assigned at this general level do not seem sufficient to assess preservation of any specific video game instance. An example  Consider video frame rate:            The notion of Object Type is slippery 480 pixel Ø  It is very significant for a certain kinds of video games (e.g. first-person shooters)  Ø  It is most likely less so for other kinds of games (e.g., digital board games such as Go or chess).   440 pixel Ø  Availability of source code enables a variety of stakeholder actions not feasible with a binary version, even though both can support the “functions that have been defined by the creator.”  Ø  The CD-ROM ISO for Oregon Trail II conta ins the Windows and the Macintosh manifestations of the game, only one of which feature video, and wh i ch enab les f unc t i ons f o r a stakeholder that preserving an installed instance of the game would not.   432 

Significant Properties of Complex Digital Artifacts: Open Issues from a Video Game Case Study

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Significant Properties of Complex Digital Artifacts: Open Issues from a Video Game Case Study

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