Digital Curation and Stewardship

Digital Curation and Stewardship

• Digital curation involves the long-term management and preservation of digital data and information, encompassing more than just preservation.
• A data preservation plan is crucial for institutions generating research data to ensure authenticity, reliability, usability, and integrity of digital content.
• Digital stewardship combines digital curation with preservation, focusing on ethical and cultural considerations of digital memory.

National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)

• NDSA formed in 2010 to promote the long-term preservation of digital content and consists of 276 member institutions.
• Offers resources like "Levels of Digital Preservation," assessing five functional areas: storage, integrity, control, metadata, and content across four maturity levels.
• Focuses on identifying content categories worthy of preservation, such as government, geospatial, news/media, science/technology, social sciences, cultural heritage, and arts/humanities.

Trusted Digital Repositories

• RLG and OCLC highlighted the need for trusted digital repositories for long-term access to cultural and intellectual heritage in digital formats.
• A trusted digital repository must ensure reliability and long-term access to managed digital resources for its community.
• Standards are critical for repositories to meet established criteria for preservation and access.

Open Archival Information System (OAIS)

• OAIS, published as ISO 14721, provides a framework for addressing digital preservation and setting future standards.
• Key responsibilities of OAIS archives include adhering to preservation strategies and ensuring accessibility of preserved information to designated communities.
• The functional process involves ingesting, storing, managing, and preserving digital files for long-term access.

Producer-Archive Interface Methodology Abstract Standard (PAIMAS)

• PAIMAS defines relationships and interactions between producers and archives in the information submission process.
• It structures the initial stages of the ingest process in the OAIS model, ensuring quality and agreement during submission.

ISO 16363 Standard for Trusted Digital Repositories

• ISO 16363:2012 outlines practices for assessing the trustworthiness of digital repositories and can lead to certification.
• PTAB was the first organization accredited to perform audits and certification based on ISO 16363.

Digital Preservation Standards and Practices

• The Magenta Book outlines recommended practices for auditing and certifying trustworthy digital repositories.
• EAD, PREMIS, and METS are crucial standards for encoding and managing digital archival metadata and content.
• RiC standard replaces existing archival standards, reflecting modern practices in archival description.

Cloud Digital Preservation Solutions

• Cloud computing enhances digital preservation with added management and curation capabilities beyond simple storage.
• Preservica, as a cloud-based solution, supports long-term digital preservation and integrates with platforms like Microsoft SharePoint for compliance.

Ongoing Digital Preservation Research

• Integration of data repositories and preservation systems is a challenge that warrants further study.
• POWRR Grid and COPTR are examples of efforts to evaluate and rank digital preservation tools based on frameworks like DCC Lifecycle.
• InterPARES TrustAI project focuses on utilizing AI to enhance the availability of trustworthy digital records.

Challenges in Digital Preservation

• Recordkeepers face a diverse range of file formats and content types, complicating long-term preservation efforts.
• Various tools such as Preservica, DSpace, and Archivematica are employed for digital preservation, reflecting a multifaceted approach to information management.### Digital Preservation Overview
• Digital archives are vital for the long-term preservation of electronic information, especially records of historical or research value.
• Various archives managed by corporations, universities, and governments store both digitized and born-digital objects.
• Preservation requires a thorough appraisal of archival value for digital objects.

Technological Landscape

• A multitude of software/services exist for digital preservation, including homegrown systems, cloud storage, and specific tools such as SharePoint, CONTENTdm, and DropBox.
• The technology landscape is continually evolving, promising enhancements in system integrity and authenticity of archived content.

Digital Lifecycle and Systems Integration

• Effective digital preservation integrates specific requirements into systems throughout the digital lifecycle.
• The transition to born-digital objects necessitates a new understanding of file types and systems, such as digital photographs, documents, and NFTs.

File Formats and Preservation Standards

• Standards like JPEG 2000 allow for high-quality images with reduced file sizes, positioned as a viable alternative to traditional formats like TIFF.
• Emerging formats, such as WebP, present new challenges for preservation archivists.

Cost of Preservation

• Digital preservation incurs costs, leading archivists to develop business cases that articulate return on investment (ROI) or cost avoidance figures for solutions.

Digital Curation

• Digital curation focuses on maintaining and enhancing a trusted body of digital research data for both current and future use.
• The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) in the UK serves as a key resource for information on digital curation and preservation.

International Standards and Certification

• International initiatives such as ISO 16363 and ISO/DIS 16919:2014 emphasize the importance of audit and certification for trustworthy digital repositories.

Approaches to Digital Preservation

• Key preservation methods include data refreshing, replication, emulation, and migration, with ongoing research aimed at improving storage solutions.
• Microfilm remains a favored option due to its longevity (up to 500 years) and ease of access without requiring specialized technology.

Cloud Preservation Services

• Cloud digital preservation services extend beyond storage, necessitating management and curation functionalities for effective long-term preservation.

Community and Research Initiatives

• The POWRR project's tool grid and COPTR's digital preservation tool registry aid in evaluating preservation products and services.
• The InterPARES TrustAI project explores future challenges and opportunities in preservation with the integration of artificial intelligence.

Organizational Solutions

• There is no universal solution for digital storage and preservation; organizations must tailor technology solutions to meet their specific needs.
• Preservation strategies may emerge from within software applications that manage active files, such as Microsoft 365.

Explore the intricacies of digital curation and stewardship in this quiz. Understand the digital curation lifecycle, including data management and long-term preservation strategies. This quiz is essential for anyone involved in research data handling and curation planning.