Tom Creighton Ensuring Authenticity

Ensuring Record Authenticity Society of American Archivists n. ~ 1. The quality of being genuine, not a counterfeit, and free from tampering, and is typically inferred from internal and external evidence, including its physical characteristics, structure, content, and context. - authentic, adj. ~ 2. Perceived of as genuine, rather than as counterfeit or specious; bona fide. Notes: Authenticity is closely associated with the creator (or creators) of a record. First and foremost, an authentic record must have been created by the individual represented as the creator. The presence of a signature serves as a fundamental test for authenticity; the signature identifies the creator and establishes the relationship between the creator and the record. Authenticity can be verified by testing physical and formal characteristics of a record. The ink used to write a document must be contemporaneous with the document's purported date. The style and language of the document must be consistent with other, related documents that are accepted as authentic. Authenticity alone does not automatically imply that the content of a record is reliable. The authenticity of records and documents is usually presumed, rather than requiring affirmation. Federal rules of evidence stipulate that to be presumed authentic, records and documents must be created in the 'regular practice' of business and that there be no overt reason to suspect the trustworthiness of the record (Uniform Rules of Evidence, as approved July 1999). –

I’m Seeking Some Information JOCASTA NU: Well, I'm sure you didn't call me over here for a history lesson. Are you having a problem, Master Kenobi? OBI-WAN: Yes, I'm trying to find a planet system called Kamino. It doesn't seem to show up on any of the archive charts. JOCASTA NU: Kamino? It's not a system I'm familiar with... Let me see... JOCASTA NU: Are you sure you have the right coordinates? OBI-WAN: (nodding) According to my information, it should be in this quadrant somewhere... just south of the Rishi Maze. Master Jocasta Nu

If It’s Not in the Archive, It Doesn’t Exist JOCASTA NU: There are some inconsistencies here. Maybe the planet you're seeking was destroyed. OBI-WAN: Wouldn't that be on record? JOCASTA NU: It ought to be, unless it was very recent. (shakes her head) I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist. OBI-WAN: That's impossible... perhaps the archives are incomplete. JOCASTA NU: The archives are comprehensive and totally secure, my young Jedi. One thing you may be absolutely sure of - if an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist!

What’s the Problem? Fixity doesn’t fix anything – No authority to claim validity – Data at rest long enough is subject to change – Data in motion only seems to arive

Some Solutions Jay Gattuso – Digital Preservation Analyst, National Library of New Zealand, Digital Preservation Team. Mike Smorul – Assistant Director of Computing Services, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center; previously lead programmer for the ADAPT project. Mike O’Donnel – Director of Hardware and Software Development, Oracle Tape Automation Group

Questions?