DigCCurr Professional Institute: Curation Practices

for the Digital Object Lifecycle

Digital Curation Program Development

Nancy Y McGovernResearch Assistant Professor, ICPSR

Topics

• Scope of a digital curation program• Community context• Three-legged stool for digital curation• Stages of program development

Data CurationDigital Preservation

Digital Curation

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Program Scope

COMMUNITYCONTEXT

Community Documents

Trusted Digital Repositories: Attributes and Responsibilities (RLG/OCLC)

http://www.oclc.org/programs/ourwork/past/trustedrep/repositories.pdf

OAIS Reference Model (CCSDS) [ISO 14721]http://public.ccsds.org/publications/archive/650x0b1.pdf

More Community Documents

ISO Digital Archive Audit and Certification Working Group – public draft pending

http://wiki.digitalrepositoryauditandcertification.org/bin/view

Builds on:Trustworthy Repositories Audit & Certification

(TRAC): Criteria and Checklist, 2007 http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=13&l2=58&l3=162&l4=91

The Three-Legged Stool for a Digital Curation Program

Organizational Infrastructure

Technological Infrastructure

Resources Framework$$$$

Adapted from: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

(how)

(what)

(how much)

Adapted from: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Organizational Infrastructure

• Best framework: TDR• Best reflected in:

– mission – policy development and implementation– long-term planning– institutional commitment– participation by Producers and Consumers

Adapted from: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Attributes of TDR

• OAIS Compliance• Administrative Responsibility• Organizational Viability• Financial Sustainability• Technological and Procedural Suitability• System Security• Procedural Accountability

Role of Policies

Developing policies:• Defines institutional commitment • Demonstrates compliance• Manages expectations• Defines issues and challenges • Raises awareness• Identifies roles and responsibilities

Organizational

Technological

High-level organizational policies

Lower-level organizational policies

Individual policy statements

Encoded policy statements

Reflect the intentions of the organization

Document the decisions of the organization

Regulate the actions of the organization

Translate organization’s policies into actions

Policy Continuum

Source: McGovern, 2008

TechnologicalInfrastructure

• Most comprehensive framework: OAIS• Combination of:

– hardware and software– packaging and re-packaging– network, security, and services– functions and workflow– procedures, protocols, documentation– technical and curation skills

Adapted from: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

OAIS Reference Model

Source: version of high-level OAIS diagram designed for DPM workshop, 2003

Avoid Technology Pogo Stick

Source: McGovern, DPM Workshop, 2005

ResourcesFramework

• No community-based articulation comparable to TDR or OAIS – yet…

• Includes:– staff, training, and development– technology and related developments– outreach and designated community support– other

$$$$

Adapted from: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Blue Ribbon Task Force on Sustainable Preservation and Access

LIFE² Cost Model

Resource Planning Steps

1. Identify cost categories2. Identify common cost centers3. Calculate costs4. Secure resources

Secure Resources

• Get additional funding• Recover costs• Reduce expenses• Reallocate

Example: ICPSR Model

…with virtually all activities tied to curation

Connecting the 3 LegsSource: McGovern, 2005

Transparency and Compliance …

Source: McGovern, 2005

Five Organizational Stages

1. Acknowledge: understanding that digital curation is a shared concern

2. Act: initiating digital preservation projects

3. Consolidate: segueing from projects to programs

4. Institutionalize: incorporating the larger environment and rationalizing programs

5. Externalize: embracing inter-institutional collaboration and dependency

Source: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Stage 1: Key Indicators

Organizational infrastructure: often non-existent; implicit policy, or very high level

0101 Technological infrastructure: non-existent or heterogeneous and decentralized; disparate elements

$$$$ Resources: generally low, finite, ad hoc financial commitment

Source: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Stage 2: Key Indicators

Organizational infrastructure: implicit policy or expressed in general terms, increased evidence of commitment

0101 Technological infrastructure: project-specific and reactive; ad hoc location

$$$$ Resources: often project-based funding

Source: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Stage 3: Key Indicators

Organizational infrastructure: development of basic and essential policies

0101 Technological infrastructure: assessment of technology investment and requisite infrastructure, shift to proactive mode

$$$$ Resources: some funding and support beyond projects, but limited

Source: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Stage 4: Key Indicators

Organizational infrastructure: consistent, systematic management; comprehensive policy framework

0101 Technological infrastructure: technology planning anticipates needs; infrastructure investments planned/implemented

$$$$ Resources: sustainable funding identified for core program areas and enhancement

Source: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Stage 5: Key Indicators

Organizational infrastructure: virtual organizations complement institutional ones; collaboration inherent feature in resource planning

0101 Technological infrastructure: distributed and highly integrated; extra-organizational features and services

$$$$ Resources: varying levels of investment, but sustainable funding; possibly distributed financial management

Source: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Using the Stages

The 5 Stages: • identify steps for developing an organization’s

digital (defines a maturity model)• provide a way of communicating about digital

preservation development• enable measuring progress towards programmatic

digital preservation goals

Source: Kenney and McGovern, 2003

Types of Planning and Review

• Durable Access Planning (ongoing)• Self-assessment (internal process)• Audit (external review by peers)• Development plans (result of audit)• Certification (future option?)

Source: DPM Workshop, 2003