Digital Curation Centre

Last updated

Digital Curation Centre (DCC)
Formation2005;19 years ago (2005) [1]
Purpose Digital curation
Headquarters Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Parent organization
 Jisc
Website http://www.dcc.ac.uk

The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) was established to help solve the extensive challenges of digital preservation and digital curation and to lead research, development, advice, and support services for higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. [1]

Contents

Throughout its history the DCC has been an active organisation in the realm of digital preservation. In partnership with other institutions, the DCC has created and developed tools for tackling issues in digital preservation and curation. Such tools include a lifecycle model for data curation, [2] a risk assessment for digital repositories, [3] [4] and an interview protocol to assist institutions in understanding their research data collections. [5] [6]

Purpose

The original call to establish the DCC described its function as

"...to provide a national focus for research into curation issues and expertise in the processes of digital archiving, preservation and management. Particular emphasis will be placed on the needs of users of the Centre's outputs." [7]

Scientists, researchers and scholars across the UK generate increasingly vast amounts of digital data, with further investment in digitization and purchase of digital content and information. The scientific record and the documentary heritage created in digital form are at risk from obsolescence, from the fragility of digital media, and from lack of the basics of good practice, such as adequate documentation for the data.

Activities

Working with other practitioners, the DCC supports UK institutions who store, manage and preserve these data to help ensure their enhancement and their continuing long-term use. The DCC also provides a national focus for research and development into digital curation issues and to promote expertise and good practice, both national and international, for the management of all research outputs in digital format.

It provides information about tools developed by the DCC and others which support all parts of the digital curation lifecycle. It provides training in the use of tools and other aspects of digital curation. It provides online tools, such as the Data Management Planning tool, to support the creation and management of research data. Another tool developed by the DCC, the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model, provides a pictorial representation of the steps and behaviours necessary to the curation and preservation of digital objects. [8]

The DCC runs a number of regular events to support different aspects of its mission. The International Digital Curation Conference (IDCC) acts as a focus for research activity in digital curation as well as reports of practice. The Research Data Management Forum brings together practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds including government, publishers, researchers and funders, to focus on particular topics of common interest. The Data Management Roadshows aim to raise awareness amongst UK universities of the assistance that the DCC can offer with establishing or improving research data services.

Developments

Curation Lifecycle Model

The Curation Lifecycle Model, developed by the DCC, was first published in 2007 and finalised in 2008. It is a graphic which describes the overarching digital curation process with archival and preservation processes being only portions of this overall digital curation process. The model outlines various curation actions. There are full lifecycle actions, which include description and representation information, preservation planning, community watch and participation, and curate and preserve. There are sequential actions, which include conceptualise; create or receive; appraise and select; ingest; preservation action; store; access, use, and reuse; and transform. [2] [9] Finally, there are occasional actions, which include dispose, reappraise, and migrate. [9] [10]

Full lifecycle actions are reoccurring actions that pertain to each phase of a digital object or databases’ lifecycle and curation process. [2] [9] [10] The full lifecycle actions indicate the need to create quality metadata to represent a digital object, the importance of planning how to preserve an object throughout the entirety of the curation process, the necessity of collaborating with a community in order to adapt new standards, and the essential task of adhering to any preconceived steps to manage the curation and preservation of the digital object. [9] [11]

Sequential actions, unlike full lifecycle actions, occur in a particular order as part of a digital object’s curation lifecycle. These steps are always performed in order, though can be repeated indefinitely as long as the object’s curation continues to be a priority. [2] [9] [10]

Occasional actions including dispose, reappraise, and migrate represent activities undertaken only when certain criteria regarding the object’s lifecycle are met. For example, when an object is appraised (a sequential action that always occurs in the lifecycle of a digital object’s curation) if it adheres to or, more aptly, doesn’t adhere to certain institutional curation policies, it can be disposed of or reappraised—both of which are occasional actions in the lifecycle. [2] [9] [10]

The DCC Curation Lifecycle Model is especially relevant to three key participants in the digital curation process: data creators, data archivists, and data reusers. The model highlights the importance of data creation, such as metadata, in successful, sustainable curation practices. This is relevant to data creators. Data archivists will find the model beneficial as an outline of the necessary processes to guarantee the thoroughness of their curation actions. Finally, because the model outlines the aforementioned steps, it prompts the successful curation of data and, therefore, the ability of that data to be accessed in the future and reused. [2]

Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment

DRAMBORA or the Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment is another development of both the DCC and DigitalPreservationEurope. This is a tool, published in 2007, which can be used by digital repositories to self-assess their own organisations and the preservation activities undertaken therein. [3] It was developed in the aspiration of working toward a standardised certification of all digital repositories. The DRAMBORA methodology acts as a checklist to ensure that a particular institution adheres to a set of standards. The self-assessment undertaken using the DRAMBORA methodology is intended to determine weaknesses within a digital repository that could affect its credibility. [4]

Data Asset Framework

The Data Asset Framework or DAF is a data audit methodology developed by HATII at the University of Glasgow in conjunction with the Digital Curation Centre. Originally the Data Audit Framework, the Data Asset Framework is an interview protocol utilised by educational institutions to better understand their growing research data collections. With this tool, institutions can learn to manage their data more effectively. [5] The audit allows institutions to assess their data collections, determine their state, and measure the worth of the data through the assessment of “five core questions:

1.     What data assets currently exist?

2.     Where are these assets located?

3.     How have these been managed to date?

4.     Which of these assets need to be maintained in the long term?

5.     Do current data management practices place these assets at risk?” [6]

By performing this audit, a comprehensive registry of data assets is compiled, which can then be used by the institution to improve their management of those assets. The intent of DAF is to raise awareness within an institution regarding their data management practices. Auditing data assets creates a better understanding of the digital collections owned by an institution and allows them to more efficiently organise their data, structure their data, and determine accountability for said data, all while minimising the potential loss of assets in the future and increasing accessibility. [6] The goal of the Data Asset Framework is to create a standard for the management of a library’s research data that can then be utilised industry-wide. [5]

History

Kevin Ashley, Director of the Digital Curation Centre (since 2010) Kevin Ashley, November 2013.jpg
Kevin Ashley, Director of the Digital Curation Centre (since 2010)

Jisc took a decision to establish the Digital Curation Centre some time in 2002, having funded a number of projects in the field of digital preservation. Jisc's then digital preservation focus, Neil Beagrie, recognised that a number of the more compelling challenges required more than simple preservation of materials. The term digital curation was coined to refer to more active long-term management of digital material. The original call for bids to run the center was withdrawn in July 2003, [12] allowing the UK's e-science programme to add funding for a 4-year research programme to complement the work on education and advocacy funded by Jisc. The revised call [7] from July 2003 required bids by 2003-09-18 with an intention to establish the DCC early in 2004. The range of expertise required meant that the funders expected to see collaborative, multi-centre bids. [7] A number were shortlisted with the winning bid chosen on 2003-11-26. Led by the University of Edinburgh (involving its School of Informatics, the National e-Science Centre (NeSC), the EDINA national data centre and the AHRC Centre for the Studies in Intellectual Property and Technology Law) the winning consortium also included HATII at the University of Glasgow, UKOLN at the University of Bath, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

The DCC began operations early in 2004, with a formal launch on 5 November of that year at Edinburgh's e-science institute. Although it was intended that the centre would be inaugurated by the Duke of Edinburgh, then the university's Chancellor, he instead had to attend the funeral of Princess Alice and his place was taken by Lord Sutherland of Houndwood. [13] The first Acting Director was Peter Burnhill, head of EDINA. He was succeeded by Chris Rusbridge from 2005-02-21 [14] who served until 2010-04-19, when he was succeeded by Kevin Ashley. [15] The original Associate Directors were David Giaretta STFC, Liz Lyon University of Bath, and Seamus Ross HATII.

Following the initial 3-year grant, Jisc funded two further phases of work at the DCC commencing in 2007 and 2010. The latter continued until March 2013. Research funding from the e-science core program did not continue after the core program itself was wound up. The DCC has continued research and development activities funded by a wide range of grants from other sources. [16] [17]

In 2011, the DCC received additional funding from HEFCE's Universities Modernisation Fund (UMF) to implement salient recommendations from the UK Research Data Service report of 2010.

See also

Related Research Articles

Formerly known as The United Kingdom Office for Library and Information Networking, UKOLN was a centre of expertise in digital information management, providing advice and services to the library, information, education and cultural heritage communities. UKOLN was based at the University of Bath and was funded through a mixture of core and project grants. Latterly it received its core funding solely from JISC, but had received core grants previously from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and the British Library.

In library and archival science, digital preservation is a formal process to ensure that digital information of continuing value remains accessible and usable in the long term. It involves planning, resource allocation, and application of preservation methods and technologies, and combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure access to reformatted and "born-digital" content, regardless of the challenges of media failure and technological change. The goal of digital preservation is the accurate rendering of authenticated content over time.

Information security standards or cyber security standards are techniques generally outlined in published materials that attempt to protect the cyber environment of a user or organization. This environment includes users themselves, networks, devices, all software, processes, information in storage or transit, applications, services, and systems that can be connected directly or indirectly to networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fedora Commons</span>

Fedora is a digital asset management (DAM) content repository architecture upon which institutional repositories, digital archives, and digital library systems might be built. Fedora is the underlying architecture for a digital repository, and is not a complete management, indexing, discovery, and delivery application. It is a modular architecture built on the principle that interoperability and extensibility are best achieved by the integration of data, interfaces, and mechanisms as clearly defined modules.

The California Digital Library (CDL) was founded by the University of California in 1997. Under the leadership of then UC President Richard C. Atkinson, the CDL's original mission was to forge a better system for scholarly information management and improved support for teaching and research. In collaboration with the ten University of California Libraries and other partners, CDL assembled one of the world's largest digital research libraries. CDL facilitates the licensing of online materials and develops shared services used throughout the UC system. Building on the foundations of the Melvyl Catalog, CDL has developed one of the largest online library catalogs in the country and works in partnership with the UC campuses to bring the treasures of California's libraries, museums, and cultural heritage organizations to the world. CDL continues to explore how services such as digital curation, scholarly publishing, archiving and preservation support research throughout the information lifecycle.

Threat modeling is a process by which potential threats, such as structural vulnerabilities or the absence of appropriate safeguards, can be identified and enumerated, and countermeasures prioritized. The purpose of threat modeling is to provide defenders with a systematic analysis of what controls or defenses need to be included, given the nature of the system, the probable attacker's profile, the most likely attack vectors, and the assets most desired by an attacker. Threat modeling answers questions like "Where am I most vulnerable to attack?", "What are the most relevant threats?", and "What do I need to do to safeguard against these threats?".

The term Open Archival Information System refers to the ISO OAIS Reference Model for an OAIS. This reference model is defined by recommendation CCSDS 650.0-B-2 of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems; this text is identical to = 57284 ISO 14721:2012. The CCSDS's purview is space agencies, but the OAIS model it developed has proved useful to other organizations and institutions with digital archiving needs. OAIS, known as ISO 14721:2003, is widely accepted and utilized by various organizations and disciplines, both national and international, and was designed to ensure preservation. The OAIS standard, published in 2005, is considered the optimum standard to create and maintain a digital repository over a long period of time.

The digital repository audit method based on risk assessment (DRAMBORA) is a methodology and associated software-based toolkit developed by Digital Curation Centre (DCC) and DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) to support the assessment of digital preservation repositories.

The Digital Preservation Award is an international award sponsored by the Digital Preservation Coalition. The award 'recognises the many new initiatives being undertaken in the challenging field of digital preservation'. It was inaugurated in 2004 and was initially presented as part of the Institute of ConservationConservation Awards. Since 2012 the prize, which includes a trophy and a cheque, is presented independently. Awards ceremonies have taken place at the British Library, the British Museum and the Wellcome Trust.

The Repository Support Project (RSP) was a 7-year Jisc funded project set up to support and develop the UK network of institutional repositories. It was originally funded through to March 2009, but was then extended to run until early 2011. The project ceased on 31 July 2013.

Preservation metadata is item level information that describes the context and structure of a digital object. It provides background details pertaining to a digital object's provenance, authenticity, and environment. Preservation metadata, is a specific type of metadata that works to maintain a digital object's viability while ensuring continued access by providing contextual information, usage details, and rights.

Trustworthy Repositories Audit & Certification (TRAC) is a document describing the metrics of an OAIS-compliant digital repository that developed from work done by the OCLC/RLG Programs and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) task force initiative.

Digital curation is the selection, preservation, maintenance, collection, and archiving of digital assets. Digital curation establishes, maintains, and adds value to repositories of digital data for present and future use. This is often accomplished by archivists, librarians, scientists, historians, and scholars. Enterprises are starting to use digital curation to improve the quality of information and data within their operational and strategic processes. Successful digital curation will mitigate digital obsolescence, keeping the information accessible to users indefinitely. Digital curation includes digital asset management, data curation, digital preservation, and electronic records management.

Seamus Ross is a digital humanities and digital curation academic and researcher based in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IT risk management</span>

IT risk management is the application of risk management methods to information technology in order to manage IT risk, i.e.:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dryad (repository)</span>

Dryad is an international open-access repository of research data, especially data underlying scientific and medical publications. Dryad is a curated general-purpose repository that makes data discoverable, freely reusable, and citable. The scientific, educational, and charitable mission of Dryad is to provide the infrastructure for and promote the re-use of scholarly research data.

The UK Data Service is the largest digital repository for quantitative and qualitative social science and humanities research data in the United Kingdom. The organisation is funded by the UK government through the Economic and Social Research Council and is led by the UK Data Archive at the University of Essex, in partnership with other universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collections management</span> Process of overseeing a collection, including acquisition, curation, and deaccessioning

Collections management involves the development, storage, and preservation of cultural property, as well as objects of contemporary culture in museums, libraries, archives and private collections. The primary goal of collections management is to meet the needs of the individual collector or collecting institution's mission statement, while also ensuring the long-term safety and sustainability of the cultural objects within the collector's care. Collections management, which consists primarily of the administrative responsibilities associated with collection development, is closely related to collections care, which is the physical preservation of cultural heritage. The professionals most influenced by collections management include collection managers, registrars, and archivists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GuildHE Research</span>

GuildHE Research is an organisation that provides training and support for researchers and students in Britain. It is a sub-association of GuildHE.

Keeping the foresight of rapidly changing technologies and rampant digital obsolescence, in 2008, the R & D in IT Group, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India envisaged to evolve Indian digital preservation initiative. In order to learn from the experience of developed nations, during March 24–25, 2009, an Indo-US Workshop on International Trends in Digital Preservation was organized by C-DAC, Pune with sponsorship from Indo-US Science & Technology Forum, which lead to more constructive developments towards formulation of the national program.

References

  1. 1 2 Rusbridge, C.; Buneman, P.; Burnhill, P.; Giaretta, D.; Ross, S.; Lyon, L.; Atkinson, M. (2005). "The Digital Curation Centre: A Vision for Digital Curation". 2005 IEEE International Symposium on Mass Storage Systems and Technology (PDF). p. 31. doi:10.1109/LGDI.2005.1612461. ISBN   0-7803-9228-0. S2CID   20810596. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Oliver, G., & Harvey, D. R. (2016). Digital curation (2nd ed.). Neal-Schuman.
  3. 1 2 Brown, A. (2013). Practical digital preservation: A how-to guide for organizations of any size. Facet Publishing.
  4. 1 2 Bermès, E. (2007). Risk management and digital repositories: The case of DRAMBORA. International Preservation News, (41), 8.
  5. 1 2 3 Ogier, A., Hall, M., Bailey, A., & Stovall, C. (2014). Data management inside the library: Assessing electronic resources data using the Data Asset Framework methodology. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 26(2), 101-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/1941126X.2014.910406
  6. 1 2 3 Jones, S., Ross, S., Ruusalepp, R., & Dobreva-McPherson, M. (2009). Data Audit Framework Methodology. HATII, University of Glasgow. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3389.0969
  7. 1 2 3 Revised ITT 6/03 Archived 2012-03-23 at the Wayback Machine Description of call and links to related documents, from JISC website archive
  8. ↑ Higgins, Sarah (2008). "The DCC Curation Lifecycle Model". International Journal of Digital Curation. 3 (1): 134, 140. doi: 10.2218/ijdc.v3i1.48 . hdl: 1842/3350 . Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Constantopoulos, P., Dallas, C., Androutsopoulos, I., Angelis, S., Deligiannakis, A., Gavrilis, D., Kotidis, Y., & Papatheodorou, C. (2009). DCC&U: An extended digital curation lifecycle model. International Journal of Digital Curation4(1), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.2218/ijdc.v4i1.76
  10. 1 2 3 4 Mason, S. (2018). Digital preservation at Oxford and Cambridge training programme pilot. University of Oxford. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/digitalpreservation/digitalcurationlifecycle
  11. ↑ Iris, X., & Krystyna, M. K. (2016). Discover digital libraries. Elsevier. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-417112-1.00011-9
  12. ↑ Announcement of postponement of call JISC 6/03 Archived 2011-07-02 at the Wayback Machine from JISC website archive
  13. ↑ Email from Gill Maddy of NeSC to delegates, 2003-11-03T1104
  14. ↑ Announcement of Chris Rusbridge's appointment Archives of JISCMAIL digital-preservation list
  15. ↑ Appointment of Kevin Ashley Archived 2011-04-29 at the Wayback Machine JISC press release
  16. ↑ Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment DRAMBORA
  17. ↑ SCARP project page Archived 2011-06-02 at the Wayback Machine From DCC website, 2011-05-27

55°56′48″N3°12′04″W / 55.9468°N 3.2012°W / 55.9468; -3.2012

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.