The e is an e e -inc easing amoun o da a being c ea ed in digi al o ma s, h ough he digi isa ion o exis ing
analogue in o ma ion and he c ea ion o new 'bo n-digi al' da a om he sciences, a s, and humani ies sec o s.As
well as gene a ing new digi al da a, scien is s, esea che s, and schola s ha e begun o ely on digi al con en c ea ed
by o he s. This da a a e a isk om echnological obsolescence and om he inhe en agili y o digi al media.
Digi al cu a ion is he managemen and p ese a ion o digi al da a o e he long- e m.
All ac i i ies in ol ed in managing da a om planning i s c ea ion, bes p ac ice in digi isa ion and documen a ion,
and ensu ing i s a ailabili y and sui abili y o disco e y and e-use in he u u e a e pa o digi al cu a ion. Digi al
cu a ion can also include managing as da a se s o daily use, o example ensu ing ha hey can be sea ched and
con inue o be eadable. Digi al cu a ion is he e o e applicable o a la ge ange o p o essional si ua ions om he
beginning o he in o ma ion li e-cycle o he end; digi ise s, me ada a c ea o s, unde s, policy-make s, and
eposi o y manage s o name a ew examples.
Wha is Digi al Cu a ion?
www.dcc.ac.uk
Sho - e m Bene i s and Long- e m Value
Digi al cu a ion ensu es he sus ainabili y o da a in he long e m, howe e i has immedia e alue o da a c ea o s as well
as use s. Digi al cu a ion acili a es:
• Pe sis en access o eliable digi al da a
• Imp o ed quali y o he da a i sel and i s esea ch con ex
• The use o common s anda ds ac oss di e en da ase s, which in u n leads o mo e oppo uni ies o
c oss-sea ching and collabo a ion
• Au hen ici y checks, imp o ing he us wo hiness o da a
• Ensu ing da a is alid as a o mal eco d whe e app op ia e, meaning i can unc ion in o he u u e
as legal e idence
• Exploi ing ini ial in es men by ensu ing ha da a is a ailable o use and e-use and p o ec ing he inancial alue o
in o ma ion
• Imp o ed speed and ange o access, da a sha ing and analysis oppo uni ies, and o he esea ch bene i s
Digi al cu a ion ensu es long- e m alue by:
• P ese ing da a and p o ec ing i agains loss and obsolescence (pa icula ly c ucial whe e he da a is non- ep oducible
o ex emely aluable)
• Allowing con inued access o da a despi e sho - e m unding o ins i u ional changes
• Encou aging e-use o da a
• Maximising he exploi a ion o digi al ma e ials cumula i ely h ough ime
• P o iding in o ma ion abou he con ex and p o enance o da a
• The use o ools and se ices o mig a e da a, me ada a, and o he ep esen a ion in o ma ion in o new o ma s o
ensu e i emains meaning ul o use s
• A managemen in as uc u e o he p ese a ion and dissemina ion o da a in pe pe ui y
BRIEFING PAPER Sep embe 2008
HE/FE Pe spec i e
"I is clea ha e-lea ning ma e ials, in common wi h o he digi al esou ces, equi e in es men o c ea e and exploi .
These ma e ials can be mig a ed, e sioned, upda ed, ein e p e ed o e- isioned o make hem applicable o new
eaching and lea ning scena ios.A be e unde s anding is equi ed o he alue o p ese a ion and cu a ion me hods o
le e age ha o iginal in es men by e-using exis ing esou ces in no el ways."
JISC ITT: e-Lea ning Ma e ials P ese a ion and Cu a ion S udies, Feb ua y 2008
h p://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documen s/ unding/2008/01/elea ningma e ials.doc
www.dcc.ac.uk
Cu a ion in P ac ice
• Digi al cu a ion can be cos ly and equi es a signi ican le el o ime in es men and expe ise.This can be
p oblema ic o smalle ins i u ions, especially as he majo ad an ages o digi al cu a ion a e long- e m and
in es men can ake many yea s o bea ui .
• Digi al cu a ion is an ongoing p ocess no a one-o ac ion. I is a chain o ac i i ies only as s ong as i s weakes link.
I is necessa y o ha e he app op ia e inancial and policy in as uc u es in place o ensu e ha digi al cu a ion
i sel can be con inued o e he long- e m.
• Bes p ac ice changes as new ools and s anda ds a e de eloped, and as digi al media becomes inc easingly complex.
Digi al cu a o s mus engage wi h echnology and s anda ds wa ch ac i i ies in o de o keep hei knowledge up o
da e in a quickly changing sec o . In his espec , aining can also o m pa o he ac i i ies in ol ed in digi al
cu a ion.
• The esponsibili ies in ol ed in digi al cu a ion can be sha ed ac oss di e en ins i u ions and communi ies and
change o e he li e-cycle o he da a, o en inco po a ing o ganisa ional and cul u al issues as well as echnical ones.
The e is o en con usion su ounding he speci ic oles ha a ious s akeholde s play in he digi al cu a ion li e-
cycle.As such, disambigua ion is u gen ly equi ed.
• Digi al cu a ion o e s a g ea numbe o oppo uni ies o collabo a ion in da a use, and he p ocess i sel can
bene i om b inging oge he di e en expe ise, con ibu o s, and sha ing he inancial bu den. Howe e , hese
ac i i ies need o be ca e ully managed o ensu e consis ency o app oach ac oss di e en pa ne s.
• One o he majo ad an ages o making digi al da a widely a ailable is ha i can be sea ched, howe e s udies ha e
shown ha much da a a ailable online is no used due o he di icul ies use s ha e in loca ing da ase s and sea ching
wi hin hem. How can da a om di e se, a ied collec ions be meaning ully combined o p o ide as e , mo e
accu a e sea ching, and new esea ch indings?
• The owne ship o digi al da a is pa icula ly complex as c ea o s o bo h digi al objec s and analogue o iginals,
da abases, me ada a, ools o unc ionali y and con ex ual in o ma ion can all ha e igh s o e he ma e ials, as can
he digi al cu a o s hemsel es. Managing igh s is a challenging and ime-consuming aspec o digi al cu a ion.
• Mechanisms o quali y con ol, au hen ica ion, and alida ion o da a should o m pa o digi al cu a ion.
• Backup o da a should no be con used wi h digi al cu a ion. Backups a e sho - e m eco e y solu ions and do no
include he wide ange o ac i i ies necessa y o ensu e he p ese a ion and dissemina ion o au hen ic digi al
objec s in pe pe ui y.
• Di e en disciplines use e minology in di e en ways which can lead o inconsis encies and/o misunde s andings
be ween collabo a o s on digi al cu a ion.
Addi ional Resou ces
• DCC Resou ce Cen e (h p://www.dcc.ac.uk/ esou ce/)
• AHDS Guides o Good P ac ice, In o ma ion Pape s, and Case S udies (h p://ahds.ac.uk/c ea ing/)
• JISC B ie ing Pape "Con inued access o au hen ic digi al asse s"
(h p://www.jisc.ac.uk/publica ions/publica ions/pub_digip ese a ionbp.aspx)
• Digi al P ese a ion Coali ion (h p://www.dpconline.o g/)
• ERPANET (h p://www.e pane .o g/)
• In e na ional Jou nal o Digi al Cu a ion (h p://www.ijdc.ne /ijdc/)
• SHERPA DP (h p://www.she padp.o g.uk/)
• LIFE P ojec (h p://www.li e.ac.uk/)
• D a DCC Digi al Cu a ion Li ecycle Model (h p://www.ijdc.ne /ijdc/a icle/ iew/45/52)
e-Science Pe spec i e
"A cohe en s a egy is essen ial in o de o es ablish and sus ain he UK as an in e na ional leade o well-cu a ed na ional da a asse s
and compu a ional in as uc u e expe ly used o shape policy, suppo decisions and empowe esea ch. The alue o da a as a
ounda ion o wellbeing and a sus ainable socie y mus be app ecia ed; Na ional esou ces mus be mo e wisely di ec ed o he
collec ion, main enance, widening access, analysis and exploi a ion o hese da a."
— M.A kinson, M. P., B i on, D., Co eney, P., De Rou e, D. E., Ga ne , N., Geddes, N., Gu ney, R., Ing am, D., Haines, K., Hughes, L.,
Je eys, P., Lyon, L. J., Osbo ne, I., Pe o , R., P oc e , R. N. and T e e hen,A. E. (Ma ch 2008).
"Cen u y-o -In o ma ion Resea ch — a S a egy o Resea ch and Inno a ion in he Cen u y o In o ma ion,
(CIR3).
h p://wikis.nesc.ac.uk/_escien oy/ iles/d/d3/CIR3Sho S a egy- 4a-20080311MPA-1.pd
