"Best Practices for Digital Archiving: An Information Life Cycle Approach."
Title
"Best Practices for Digital Archiving: An Information Life Cycle Approach."
Subject
Digital humanities
Description
Gail Hodge asserts that the rapid dissemination of digital “objects” occurred with “little regard for the long-term preservation of digital information.” Given the nature of the digital world, her analysis is as relevant in 2015 as it was in 2000. In an environment where file deletion, corruption, or accessibility is a constant concern, Hodge provides a step-by-step process that outlines some best practices to avoid some of the pitfalls digital practitioners face. She argues that rapid technological advances require users to incorporate appropriate standards during the creative process. Without a systematic approach, preservation becomes problematic.
To address that issue, this study surveyed a variety of institutions including libraries, research institutions, and database publishers to gather information on what best practices had helped them confront these challenges. Hodge breaks the process down into six categories: creation, acquisition, metadata, storage, preservation, and access. In each aspect of the digital life-cycle, she gives practical advice on things such as determining what and what not to archive, copyright issues, hardware and software concerns, and migration issues. In regard to preservation, Hodge asserts that one of the most important aspects is to maintain the “look and feel” of the archive, despite what technological changes occur.
To address that issue, this study surveyed a variety of institutions including libraries, research institutions, and database publishers to gather information on what best practices had helped them confront these challenges. Hodge breaks the process down into six categories: creation, acquisition, metadata, storage, preservation, and access. In each aspect of the digital life-cycle, she gives practical advice on things such as determining what and what not to archive, copyright issues, hardware and software concerns, and migration issues. In regard to preservation, Hodge asserts that one of the most important aspects is to maintain the “look and feel” of the archive, despite what technological changes occur.
Creator
Hodge, Gail M.
Publisher
D-Lib Magazine
Date
2000
Contributor
Robert Clarke
Type
Journal Article
Identifier
Bibliographic Citation
Hodge, Gail M. “Best Practices for Digital Archiving: An Information Life Cycle Approach.” D-Lib Magazine 6, no. 1 (January 2000). doi:10.1045/january2000-hodge.
Files
Collection
Citation
Hodge, Gail M., “"Best Practices for Digital Archiving: An Information Life Cycle Approach.",” Digital Archiving Resources, accessed January 6, 2025, https://dar.cah.ucf.edu/items/show/280.