The Archive Strikes Back: Effects of Online Digital Language Archiving on Research Relations and Property Rights

The Archive Strikes Back: Effects of Online Digital Language Archiving on Research Relations and Property Rights

Copyright

This chapter examines the complications that are present when attempting to digitally archive spoken languages, focusing on how researchers and archivists must act to minimize or avoid property right violations. Widlok first explains why researchers find it necessary to digitize their archives, believing that non-digitized collections risk becoming “data cemeteries” that are more prone to data loss. By placing their research into these archives and with the efficient use of metadata, these collections become more effective in data preservation. However, the digitization of this data brings new concerns for archivists. These issues often center around matters of access to collections. Many archivists attempt to solve these problems by providing layered access to these collections, with different groups being allowed to view different levels of content. However, Widlok notes that this solution does not solve the problem when working with the property rights of the spoken languages of different communities. Some members involved, such as funding agencies and researchers, may attempt to have this information more freely available, while members of these communities may desire more restrictions. Widlok also notes that there may be different opinions among members of the same community. He instructs researchers to take these varying attitudes into account and work to avoid instigating conflicts between opposing parties.

Widlok, Thomas

2013

Rahman, Sabiha

Book Chapter

ISBN: 9781909254329

Widlok, Thomas. "The Archive Strikes Back: Effects of Online Digital Language Archiving on Research Relations and Property Rights." In Oral Literature in the Digital Age: Archiving Orality and Connecting with Communities, edited by Turin Mark, Wheeler Claire, and Wilkinson Eleanor, 3-20. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 2013. DOI: 10.2307/j.ctt5vjtkq.6