Preservation and documentation of digital data a very informal presentation Digital data Digital archaeology Digital archiving This paper, as its title suggests, aims to set the scene for the quite detailed issues that will be discussed for the rest of the morning, and which will, no doubt also inform the papers and discussions for the rest of the day. I have quite deliberately borrowed much of the language of this discussion from the obscure vocabulary of political rhetoric, partly because many of the ideas expressed here are drawn from what are essentially political documents, and partly to emphasise the point that while the technical solutions are both robust and well established, it is the political will that is relatively new. It is my aim to put in front of you a number of simple points. The first one I have already made: that , the technology that enables the technical solutions that will be in front of us today are far from new:. It is, if anything, the political context that has changed. As local government employees, I am certain that you are familiar with many of the ideas and terms that will be presented here, but what may not be obvious is that the same pressures are being put on the Education sector, for similar reasons and with similar results. So while performance indicators and access seem modish in government circles, these same pressures are being brought to bear in the education sector. However, it is in HE in particular that these pressures are producing results in terms of technical solutions. While this raises problems for both HE and Local Government archaeologists, if we can raise our heads a little, we can learn a lot from our shared experiences. William Kilbride wgk1@york.ac.uk

Strategies for Digital Data Findings and Recommendations from Digital Data in Archaeology: A Survey of User Needs Cadw English Heritage Historic Scotland RCHME RCAHMW DoENI The Heritage Council RCAHMS

The projected growth in the use of computers in British archaeology Digital Data The projected growth in the use of computers in British archaeology

The present state of digital archiving in archaeology Digital Data The present state of digital archiving in archaeology The popularity of certain storage options

The present state of digital archiving in archaeology Digital Data The present state of digital archiving in archaeology The popularity of typical strategies for protecting physical media

… and then there was Newham Digital Data In short, the archaeological record could be decaying faster in its digital form than it ever did in the ground … and then there was Newham

The Newham Archive contained … Digital Archaeology The Newham Archive contained … 6432 individual files 1500 excavation reports (or parts) 700 database files 1200 geophysics files 200 separate projects approx. 150 excavations

The Newham Archive Physical Media not the main problem Digital Archaeology The Newham Archive Physical Media not the main problem Software problems (migration) Data to information (documentation) Plan for re-use Forward planning is much cheaper

Digital Archive Pilot Project Excavation Records (DAPPER): Digital Archiving Digital Archive Pilot Project Excavation Records (DAPPER): what to document in an archive … IPR Standards used in recording / creation Technical specifications Expand your short-hand!

Digital Archive Pilot Project Excavation Records (DAPPER): Digital Archiving Digital Archive Pilot Project Excavation Records (DAPPER): what to document in an archive … Don’t confuse preservation documentation with resource discovery metadata

Digital Archive Pilot Project Excavation Records (DAPPER): Digital Archiving Digital Archive Pilot Project Excavation Records (DAPPER): Finding levels for digital archives Appropriate archival levels “Index Level Archive” “Assessment Level Archive” “Research Archives” “Integrated Archives” An ongoing debate (watch this space!)

five steps for digital preservation… Digital Archiving In conclusion: five steps for digital preservation… Back-up Secure access Documentation of project Migration of files or emulation of platforms Refreshment of media

The project is dead… ...long live the project William Kilbride wgk1@york.ac.uk ads.ahds.ac.uk