Depositing and Disseminating Digital Resources Alan Morrison Collections Manager AHDS Subject Centre for Literature, Linguistics and Languages.

A Continuing Access and Preservation Strategy “Unless significant effort is put urgently into digital preservation and securing long-term access to digital resources, uncertainties over archiving will continue to impede the growth and take-up of digital services…National action in this field is therefore appropriate to the community and UK wide remit and mission of the JISC.”

Why Deposit? Preservation of valuable data Dissemination and access Cataloguing and application of standards Professional recognition and funding agency requirements Free service (currently, for most projects)

Preservation of valuable data Digital resources are particularly vulnerable to loss, damage and obsolescence Data creators not always best curators Adequate preservation facilities not always available at host institution AHDS has dedicated staff, facilities and a long-term preservation strategy

Dissemination and Access “ Digital Preservation requires not only the maintenance and disaster recovery procedures needed for securing the media and its contents but also strategies and procedures to maintain its accessibility and authenticity over time.” (JISC Access & Preservation Strategy) Shared resources not duplication! Build a critical mass of digital resources for the benefit of the community Free access as a means of promotion and preservation

Cataloguing and Application of Standards Cataloguing digital resources –Exploratory but stabilizing –Fundamental to use and acceptance of digital resource by HE and research communities –Essential for resource discovery and interoperability –Preservation metadata Application of (open) Standards –Best practise for resource creation –Promote re-use and long-term preservation

Professional Recognition Funding Agency Requirements “Much of the knowledge base and intellectual assets of institutions and staff are now in digital form.” JISC Recognition of role of digital resources AHDS acceptance for deposit as a sign of scholarly effort and quality Promotion to academic community via AHDS website and outreach activities Condition of funding : “ Significant electronic resources or datasets created as a result of research funded by the Board, together with documentation, must be offered for deposit at the AHDS within three months of the end of the project…” AHRB Terms & Conditions of Award

What does the AHDS Collect? All types of digital resources of use to the Arts & Humanities communities: –Electronic texts, databases, digital images, moving images, audio data, GIS data, virtual reality… Sources of digital resources: –AHRB and JISC grant-holders –Other academic research projects –Libraries, archives, museums

The Deposit Process Consult with relevant subject centre on: –Preferred deposit formats –Comprehensive metadata and documentation –Delivery options –Copyright and IPR issues The AHDS Deposit Licence –Non-exclusive –No transfer of IPR rights –Variant and optional clauses –Physical or ‘virtual’ deposit FAIR: Hybrid Archives Project

What happens to my data? Common AHDS ingest procedure Archive three versions of data Original/preservation/distribution Managed access Online, offline, portals, portable media… Added value Professionally catalogued and indexed Metadata for resource discovery Preservation Storage, migration, emulation…

Waiver to Deposit & Delivering your own Resource Waiver –Safe deposit with recognised, appropriate institution –Inappropriate media format or data –Other contractual obligations Delivering your own resources –Resource management policy –Adequate staff and technical infrastructure –On-going/dynamic project –IPR, data protection, site licensed [but a preservation copy should still be deposited!]

Deposit: a Summary Contact relevant subject centre early on –Advice on best practice for resource creation Ensure all copyright issues are resolved Complete the documentation forms fully including any additional secondary material Negotiate deposit and access terms Appropriate signatory of deposit licence Check all conditions have been met to your satisfaction!

A few useful links AHDS advice for depositors: – JISC Digital Preservation Focus – AHDS Case Study on the Deposit Procedure – AHDS Common Deposit Agreement –