Archiving Archaeological Research Data

Transcription

1 Archiving Archaeological Research Data Requirements, Objectives and First Experiences Dr. Reiner Göldner 1

2 Content Part one: Objectives and Requirements Archive Objectives Archival Value Suitability for Archiving Future Use Scenarios Part Two: First Experiences with Implementation To Become an Archivist OAIS Going Step by Step and Keep it Simple Challenges Preservation Strategies Résumé Working Group Archiving (Members from German Archaeological Heritage Offices of Germany) Project Archiving Archaeological Research Data (Saxon Archaeological Heritage Office) Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 2

3 Who is that? Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 3

4 Part One / Archive Objectives The objective of an archaeological archive is: to permanently preserve content and function of archive material and to provide access to it. (material = digital data) Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 4

5 Part One / Archive Objectives That is in detail: to securely store the material (prevent damage and loss) to regularly curate the material and to restaurate or renew it, if needed to index and register the material to present the material and to make it accessible. archaeological archives are information sources for: the present work of archaeological offices heritage protection and conservation publication and presentation future science and research Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 5

6 Part One / Archival Value Which material is worth of archiving? if it has ageless, steady value to society! steady value means, the material is of particular importance, it is more prominent than the overall material selection of material! critical aspect! Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 6

7 Part One / Archival Value more special, material is worth of archiving if it supports future science and research if it is documentation of heritage, that can't be preserved if it is documentation of archaeological situation or activity (excavation documentation) if it supports heritage protection and conservation if it is a result of archaeological research Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 7

8 Part One / Archival Value for example, such material is not worth of archiving: draft, duplicate, intermediate state, incomplete, faulty, not finished archive has to check the archival value (at least) negotiate with the producer: special criteria for special materials Criteria of archival value are necessary to focus archival resources! Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 8

9 Part One / Suitability for Archiving besides archival value there is another aspect to preselect archive materials: Which material is suitable for archiving? the answer depends on formal, technical aspects of the archive material: type, complexity, connectivity, interoperability, Material is suitable for archiving, if the archive has a reasonable (and specific) preservation strategy for it! [preservation strategy see below] Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 9

10 Part One / Future Use Scenarios How the archive material is used in years? (passive) information: overview and details (active) scientific re-analysis future use types visual (read, view, print) machine analysis of texts, images, drawings functional use with special application software (CAD, GIS, ) indirect aspects to be considered (sensitive) analogue material is protected by providing a digital copy digitization + indexing improve easy access Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 10

11 Part One / Future Use Scenarios hypotheses: 1: Future use scenarios will be limited to present use scenarios, regarding to the presently collected information. 2: Questions of future generations are hardly predictable. Probably the data will appear to future archaeologists as heterogeneous data mound. 3: With a maximum of collected information (more then presently can be used) there will arise new use scenarios in future (that we don't know today). Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 11

12 Part One / By the Way As you are interested in questions like Shall it be allowed to make additions, corrections, editing of archaeological archive material (like excavation documentation)? What does authenticity mean associated with digital archive material? What about usage rights for the archive? have a look at: Ein Erfahrungsaustausch zur Archivierung digitaler archäologischer Daten... (but sorry, it's in German). Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 12

13 Part Two / To Become an Archivist always start with a clear archiving task and some basic resources you need archaeological, archival and IT-related skills ( training) archaeological and archival aspects interact, may be contrary there are different opinions about archives, more or less professional read some guidebooks (like Ratgeber zur Archivierung... ) be inspired by the ideas of OAIS (Open Archival Information System) Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 13

14 Part Two / OAIS OAIS Open Archival Information System reference model for an archive, provide long term preservation organization of people and systems concept, framework responsibilities information model functional model ISO Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 14

15 Part Two / OAIS functional entities of OAIS (OAIS 2012, page 4-1, figure 4-1) Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 15

16 Part Two / Going Step by Step and Keep it Simple Pessimistic approach: You can't buy an archive! You only can buy some components that help you to operate an archive. don't underestimate the effort to run a real archiving system (have a look at those who run a real archival system) Archiving is the most intensive and most expensive way to store and to preserve data! You won't implement an archive all at once! Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 16

17 Part Two / Going Step by Step and Keep it Simple Optimistic approach: but don't fear, you can get it little by little and there are also small solutions ( presentation at round table) use available infrastructure as good and intensive as possible apply criteria of archival value to select archive material reduce the number of data formats and use data types that are as simple as possible... tip: put systematic information into systematic data structures (datasets, geodata) permanently operated server databases can be considered as very good archives Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 17

18 Part Two / Challenges technology doesn't solve all archiving problems (neither OAIS certified software) there is a notable manual effort to establish appropriate archive objectives and requirements, to manage the OAIS and to organize all tasks, to develop and maintain acceptable preservation strategies and to apply them... Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 18

19 Part Two / Preservation Strategy 3 abstract types of preservation strategies: simple visual data types simple functional data Types complex data (types) examples preservation strategy archive representations text, image, drawing,... table/ spreadsheet, geodata, 3D,... non standard data (sets), interconnected, interoperable according to file format use approved preservation formats (like PDF/A, TIFF baseline, SVG, ) use simple, common standard formats (like CSV, XML, GML, DXF, Shape,...) carefully describe data structure and context create an informative visual representation build a functional representation, that is abstracted from software specific overhead carefully describe data structure and context create an informative visual representation In addition keep the original visual functional visual functional visual original Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 19

20 Part Two / Preservation Strategy Example for complex data (types): combination of CAD-drawing and georeferenced raster image, (often used in archaeological excavation plans) Specific preservation strategies are needed! only the strategy for simple visual data types is nearly ready to use You don't get any preservation strategy from the software system Without specific preservation strategies curation will collapse! Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 20

21 Part Two / By the Way our archival system is ExLibris Rosetta and our search engine is ExLibris Primo we use 5 Linux server for test and production Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 21

22 Résumé There are 3 critical ways to cause a Curation Collapse in the archive: ignore archival value, accept unsuitable material, run without preservation strategy. Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 22

23 Résumé On the other side: there is OAIS, a basic framework for long term preservation, there is a lot of expert knowledge and even experience available now, there is even software available. So start now, find someone responsible, build up an archive and preserve your digital assets for long terms! Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 23

24 Sources Working Group Archiving, Members from German Archaeological Heritage Offices of Germany, online Ein Erfahrungsaustausch zur Archivierung digitaler archäologischer Daten (transl.: Exchange of Experiences regarding the Preservation of Digital Archaeological Data ) online Dokumente_Archaeologie-Informationssysteme/Dokumente_AIS_Archivierung/ Erfahrungsaustausch_Archivierung_ _Zusammenfassung.pdf Ratgeber zur Archivierung digitaler Daten online Archaeologie-Informationssysteme/Dokumente_AIS_Archivierung/Ratgeber_Archivierung_V1.0.pdf Open Archival Information System, OAIS Magenta Book 2012 online Project Archiving Archaeological Research Data, Saxon Archaeological Heritage Office (internal material) Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 24

25 Contact Dr. Reiner Göldner IT/GIS Consultant Saxon Archaeological Heritage Office Dresden, Germany Dr. Reiner Göldner: Archiving Archaeological Research Data. 25