OAIS (Open A chi al In o ma ion Sys ems Re e ence Model — ISO 14721:2003) p o ides a gene ic
concep ual amewo k o building a comple e a chi al eposi o y, and iden i ies he esponsibili ies and
in e ac ions o P oduce s, Consume s and Manage s o bo h pape and digi al eco ds. The s anda d
de ines he p ocesses equi ed o e ec i e long- e m p ese a ion and access o in o ma ion objec s,
while es ablishing a common language o desc ibe hese. I does no speci y an implemen a ion, bu
p o ides he amewo k o make a success ul implemen a ion possible, h ough desc ibing he basic
unc ionali y equi ed o a p ese a ion a chi e. I iden i ies manda o y esponsibili ies, and p o ides a
s anda dised me hod o desc ibe eposi o y unc ionali y by p o iding de ailed models o a chi al
in o ma ion and a chi al unc ions.
Using OAIS o Cu a ion
www.dcc.ac.uk
Sho - e m Bene i s and Long- e m Value
The OAIS Re e ence Model can be used as a planning ool o acili a e long- e m implemen a ion o digi al
p ese a ion. Using he Re e ence Model as a checklis , om he incep ion o an a chi al eposi o y p ojec , can
help o:
• Design a sys em which is bo h sus ainable and iable and can ul il a eposi o y’s business model
• Reduce design wo k by ensu ing ha all issues and esponsibili ies, bo h inside and ou side o he eposi o y,
a e add essed a he planning s age
• Ensu e ha policies, guidelines and ag eemen s exis which will embed p ese a ion in o an o ganisa ion’s
wo k low
• Inc ease coope a ion be ween s akeholde s, as esponsibili ies will be ully unde s ood and he eposi o y
will ul il hei equi emen s
• Iden i y human esponsibili ies, compu e aided p ocesses and au oma ed p ocesses
• Enable discussion and compa ison wi h o he o ganisa ions’ sys ems h ough sha ed e minology, ope a ional
p ocedu es and a chi ec u es
• Engende us in he eposi o y, and open he possibili y o u u e ce i ica ion as a T us ed Digi al Reposi o y 1
Following he OAIS Func ional Model will ensu e ha all majo unc ions equi ed o success ul eposi o y
a chi ec u e a e included:
• Da a objec s a e app op ia ely Inges ed,A chi ally S o ed and Managed
• Adminis a i e p ocedu es a e in place o he o e all ope a ion o he a chi e
• Planning o p ese a ion akes place; including mig a ion planning, so wa e decisions, implemen ing s anda ds
and c ea ing inges me hodologies
• Da a objec s con inue o be accessible o hose who need o use hem
Following he OAIS In o ma ion Model will:
• Ensu e ha he necessa y suppo ing in o ma ion, (Me ada a) o enable e ec i e con ol and p ese a ion o a
da a objec , and eco d ela ionships be ween hem, is collec ed o c ea ed
• Ensu e ha any in o ma ion needed o in e p e a da a objec (Rep esen a ion In o ma ion) is collec ed and
assigned app op ia ely
BRIEFING PAPER Feb ua y 2007
www.dcc.ac.uk
Roles and Responsibili ies
Choosing o use he OAIS Re e ence Model, as a empla e o in o ma ion p ese a ion, demons a es a long- e m
commi men o ensu ing ha ele an wo k lows and a chi ec u es a e in place o in o ma ion o emain a ailable o hose
who need o use i ( he Designa ed Communi y).The Re e ence Model clea ly iden i ies an o ganisa ion’s equi emen o
se o e all policy and ensu e ha manda o y esponsibili ies a e ollowed:
• Nego ia e o and accep app op ia e in o ma ion om in o ma ion P oduce s.
• Ob ain su icien con ol o in o ma ion p o ided o he le el needed o ensu e Long-Te m P ese a ion.
• De e mine, ei he by i sel o in conjunc ion wi h o he pa ies, which communi ies should become he Designa ed
Communi y and, he e o e, should be able o unde s and he in o ma ion p o ided.
• Ensu e in o ma ion p ese ed is independen ly unde s andable o he Designa ed Communi y. I should be
unde s andable wi hou needing he assis ance o he expe s who p oduced he in o ma ion.
• Follow documen ed policies and p ocedu es which ensu e ha he in o ma ion is p ese ed agains all easonable
con ingencies, and which enable he in o ma ion o be dissemina ed as au hen ica ed copies o he o iginal o
aceable as he o iginal.
• Make he p ese ed in o ma ion a ailable o he Designa ed Communi y.
Addi ional Resou ces
ISO 14721:2003 Space da a and in o ma ion ans e sys ems — Open a chi al in o ma ion sys em — Re e ence model — F ench and
English e sions a ailable o pu chase in pape o PDF o ma om: h p://www.iso.o g/iso/en/ISOOnline. on page. Resea ch lib a ies
may ha e subsc ip ions o ISO o B i ish S anda ds Online: h p://www.bsonline.bsi-global.com/se e /index.jsp which enable
egis e ed use s o download copies ee. See app op ia e s a a you ins i u ion.
NASA/Science O ice o S anda ds and Technology (NOST) — OAIS O icial websi e: h p://nos .gs c.nasa.go /isoas/. Links o he ull
ex o he s anda d p io o ISO a i ica ion and is essen ially he same: h p://public.ccsds.o g/publica ions/a chi e/650x0b1.pd
Alex Ball, B ie ing Pape : he OAIS Re e ence Model, UKOLN, Uni e si y o Ba h (Feb ua y 2006)
Co nell Uni e si y Lib a y, Online Tu o ial: Digi al P ese a ion Managemen : Implemen ing Sho - e m S a egies o Long- e m P oblems.
Module 4B:The OAIS Re e ence Model: h p://www.lib a y.co nell.edu/i is/ u o ial/dpm/ ounda ion/oais/index.h ml
ERPANET, OAIS T aining Semina , Repo s and p esen a ions om he 2002 E pane OAIS T aining Semina , Copenhagen (2002)
B ian F. La oie, The Open A chi al In o ma ion Sys em Re e ence Model: In oduc o y Guide, Digi al P ese a ion Coali ion Technology
Wa ch Se ies Repo 04-01 (Janua y 2004): h p://www.dpconline.o g/docs/la oie_OAIS.pd
1RLG/OCLC (Resea ch Lib a ies G oup/Online Compu e Lib a y Cen e ) and NARA (US Na ional A chi es and Reco ds Adminis a ion) a e
de eloping a me hodology o ce i ying T us ed Digi al Reposi o ies. Cu en ly in d a o ma , he Audi Checklis o Ce i ying Digi al Reposi o ies uses
he wo k o OAIS as i s ounda ion.The Digi al Cu a ion Cen e is pa icipa ing in his ini ia i e: h p://www. lg.o g/en/page.php?Page_ID=580
HE/FE and e-Science Pe spec i e
“The es ablishmen o he OAIS (Open A chi al In o ma ion Sys em) e e ence model o e ed he AHDS a amewo k
upon which o base i s eposi o y. Laye ed upon his he AHDS has a ange o P ese a ion Handbooks, Inges Manuals
and me ada a ools o assis AHDS s a .”
Alas ai Dunning in The Tasks o he AHDS (A s and Humani ies Da a Se ice):Ten Yea s On, A iadne, Issue 48,
July 2006
“Recommenda ion B16: Ins i u ions, Resea ch Councils and uni e si ies ac ing alone o in conso ia should be encou aged
o adop OAIS-complian a chi es and o ins i u e me hods o assess cu a ion o academic digi al asse s.”
Philip Lo d and Alison Macdonald p75 e-Science Cu a ion Repo : Da a cu a ion o e-Science in he UK: an audi
o es ablish equi emen s o u u e cu a ion and p o ision p epa ed o :The JISC Commi ee o he Suppo o Resea ch
(JCSR) (2003)
