Data Asset Framework - Assignment Example

Digital preservation Name Institution Task 1: Digital preservation COPTR Tool Registry tool- DCC tool- Data Asset Framework (DAF) Description DAF is a digital preservation tool that is found in the COPTR tool registry and related to a functional area in the Digital Curation Model (DCC). DAF offers firms some ways of identifying, locating, describing, and assessing the manner at which the organisations are managing the research data assets. According to the argument put forth by Parham, Bodnar, and Fuchs, (2012), the DAF comprises of a variety of survey methods that allow the data auditors to gather the required data, experiences, and views that are necessary to the scope of research data that offers the required support services. Methodology DAF suggests four steps to be followed in the research process to conduct the audit of the research data assets (Lyon, Ball, Duke, & Day, 2012). These steps comprise of; Step 1/ Planning stage: It entails preparation of a plan, the definition of the research purpose, identification of the scope of the study, and carrying out the preliminary research. In this stage, there is the conduct of some preliminary research and meetings to identify the time spent by the firm’s staff. Step 2 Classification step: The step involves identification of the data assets that are present and categorizing them with the aim of determining the area to put more attention and effort and to have an advanced, in-depth analysis. Step 3: In this stage, the research is required to consider the information data cycle, which helps in gaining some understanding of the researcher’s workflows and making out the available weaknesses in the process of data collection, as well as during the curation practices. This step offers the basis for the ending stage because the skills gained from the assessment is applied in planning for the data management improvements. Step 4: This phase is about pulling together of all the information that is gathered and providing some recommendations to enable improvement of the data management process. Advantages DAF helps in being certain that the research data that is generated in an organization is well preserved and retains its accessibility even in the future. The tool advocates for following of an efficient process that offers clear guidelines to the researcher. It enables in the understanding of the data assets held by the institutions and definition of the scope of the study. Disadvantages It takes much time to conduct the four stages until the completion of a project. It leads to limitations because of its high cost. The potential users DAF is normally used by the educational institutions that seek to make a registry of data assets in the process of audit. Among the users are’ ‘The centre for computing in the humanities at King’s college London’ ‘The innovative design and manufacturing research centre (IDMRC) at the University of Bath’ ‘The school of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh ‘Glasgow University Archeological Research Division (GUARD) at the University of Glasgow’. Suitability DAF is very suitable for the functional area it was created for because the four implementation processes enhance the undertaking of a successful survey. The tool is effective in achieving the set goals. Task 2: Digital preservation strategy- Migration http://www.dpworkshop.org/dpm-eng/eng_index.html Description Migration is one of the digital preservation strategies that involves copying of data or conversion of data from one technology to the other irrespective of it being software or hardware and ensures the preservation of the vital features of the particular data. This definition is as per the understanding of Peter Graham, who tends to capture the real meaning of migration and its vagueness. Wilson, Martinez-Uribe, Fraser, and Jeffreys, (2011) identify migration as a strategy that is interchangeably used with refreshing strategy. The strategy is approached as store formats in the up-to-date format before the digital data becomes obsolete. As articulated by Strodl, Mayer, Antunes, Draws, and Rauber (2013), migration strategy is a richer and broader strategy compared to refreshing because of its ability to identify a variety of options associated with the digital preservation. Becker and Rauber, (2011) identify that migration involves a range of some well-planned tasks and designed with the aim of achieving the timely relocation of digital materials from one software/hardware pattern to another. It also involves the transfer of digital data from a generation of computer to succeeding generation. The digital preservation strategy is aimed at helping in the preservation of the integrity of the digital tools and objects and to allow the clients to continue having the capacity to get back, display, and apply these materials in a continuously varying technology. In the migration, there is the conduct of refreshing as a form of digital preservation, though they are different because it becomes hard to come up with a precise digital copy and an imitation of the specific database. In a refreshing, it also becomes impossible to make an exact information object because of the changes realized in software and hardware and the need for retaining the object’s compatibility to the technology in the new generation (Wilson, et al. 2011). During the migration, there is the theoretical conduct of trying to address the viability through the inclusion of the data conversion to prevent obsolescence in the format, encoding, and physical storage means of the data. Application of migration in the contemporary world Migration is the most widely applied digital preservation approach in the modern world. From the fact that this approach focuses on the specific digital object, and not the surrounding environment, changing of the object does not lead to any change in the accessibility of the software or hardware. The migration of the archival information package leads to the creation of a new description of the AIP, thus replacing the original one. Despite the effort of preserving the two copies, the migrated copy is identified as the fundamental package for the preservation purpose. Groenewald and Breytenbach (2011) articulate that full documentation of migration through a metadata should enable it, to be reversible, thus being assured of full retention of the data. Sometimes it becomes inevitable to loose some information, and this requires the digital curators to balance the interests of achievement of an efficient reversible migration and retention of an accessible adaptation of the digital object Examples of digital curation initiatives using this strategy Variations Backward compatibility Unlike other approaches, migration is associated with backward compatibility. Migration has been operational across the globe for many years. The file formats have some successive versions the enhance definition of the linear migration ways for the available files. There is a supply of the conversion routines by the software vendors leading to the availability of the newer accounts and saving the modern version. The inclusion of the stored material in a digital archive from the currently formed proprietary formats that are well documented and supported, the process leads to the repository deciding to leave the data in the particular format until the time of being under threat of obsolescence. Guttenbrunner, and Rauber, (2012) identify that continued reliance on the proprietary formats fails to offer a long lasting solution, and the approach is faced with some drawbacks associated with the digital preservation. According to Ross (2012), in migration, the backwards compatibility is normally limited to very few generations, thus endangering the acquisition of some older information. Migration to the standard formats on ingest When trying to control the cost and complexity, a firm might decide to offer some support to a few standardized file formats and take the entire digital objects to the necessarily supported format. The process involves the conversion of all the digital objects from a specific type to a single selected file format with the capacity to embody the most efficient compromise and not other features such as preservability, longevity, and functionality. Strodl, et al. 2013) identify that the involved institution tends to offer the require assistance to the particular format in an indefinite manner leading to an approach known as normalization. As asserted by Becker, Antunes, Barateiro, Vieira, and Borbinha, (2011) the formatted documents are converted into PDF documents and the plain text records changed into text files, which are conventional to some particular encoding requirements. Migration to standard or newer file formats on the obsolescence A firm might decide to leave the digital objects in the initial nature and depend on the technology watch competence to enhance identification of the moment when an individual format is at the threat of obsolescence. This involves various forms of migration, such as conversion of very few preferred formats, changing from a proprietary format to a similar open format, which tends to be additionally preserved and friendly. Smit, Van der Hoeven, and Giaretta, (2011) also add that the conversion of a format, which is identified as a sensible successor of the primary format. Migration on Request An institution is likely to decide to leave a digital object in its original format or even retain some bit-stream until the moment the user would be in need of it, and that is when the left streams would be migrated to the selected format. As stated by Becker and Rauber (2011), migration on request is very beneficial since it only migrates the requested record; hence, saving the resources. The approach enables the migration process to be conducted on the innovative bitstream, thus changing the risk of data loss related to the recurring migrations. It also allows avoidance of the recurrent format conversions, leading to being cost-effective. The migration on request is also associated with some drawbacks, such as the need for retention of the tools used in the migration process in every format to prevent the tools from being obsolete during the migration. Becker, et al. (2011) state that this approach entails the determination of the scope of additional activities as per the selected aspects to be assessed. Discussion of appropriate context for implementation of the strategy The strategy is implemented with consideration of access to efficient guidelines to avoid the risks associated with the process. Smit, et al. (2011) identify that migration digital preservation approach is implemented only when an institution requires formatting of its data. In addition, when a firm is in need of upgrading the existing products, it conducts the migration approach to its cloud platform. Most of the institutions that implement this approach are the ones that have a wide range of file formats that need to be formatted. Identification and discussion of advantages and disadvantages Advantages Migration enhances the efficient process of dealing with software availability and the accessibility of the operating systems. There is also enhanced the way of coping with the issue of threat format ageing. The copied or converted data is efficiently preserved in an advanced and modern format. Disadvantages Migration is associated with some drawbacks such as the likely of the collected information being lost in the process of migration. It operates as a standalone course of action, thus not being in a better position to prevent obsolescence of the data carriers and devices. The strategy involves and persistent task whereby a person is required to repeat the process regularly. It is a very expensive digital preservation strategy because of involvement of many assessment processes in the formats, and in the surveillance of the generation of formats (Ross, 2012). Migration is not efficient because of not allowing the parties to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the digital data. The approach is based on the assumptions that the converted files are more important compared to their functionality. Batch migration becomes easier only if there is standardization of the formats. Otherwise, the whole approach remains labour intensive and requires many resources. References Becker, C., & Rauber, A. (2011). Decision criteria in digital preservation: What to measure and how. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(6), 1009-1028. Becker, C., Antunes, G., Barateiro, J., Vieira, R., & Borbinha, J. (2011). Control objectives for dp: Digital preservation as an integrated part of it governance. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 48(1), 1-10. Groenewald, R., & Breytenbach, A. (2011). The use of metadata and preservation methods for continuous access to digital data. The Electronic Library, 29(2), 236-248. Guttenbrunner, M., & Rauber, A. (2012). A measurement framework for evaluating emulators for digital preservation. ACM Transactions on Information Systems (TOIS), 30(2), 14. Lyon, L., Ball, A., Duke, M., & Day, M. (2012, October). Developing a Community Capability Model Framework for data-intensive research. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Preservation of Digital Objects (pp. 9-16). Parham, S. W., Bodnar, J., & Fuchs, S. (2012). Supporting tomorrow’s research Assessing faculty data curation needs at Georgia Tech. College & Research Libraries News, 73(1), 10-13. Ross, S. (2012). Digital preservation, archival science and methodological foundations for digital libraries. New Review of Information Networking, 17(1), 43-68. Smit, E., Van der Hoeven, J., & Giaretta, D. (2011). Avoiding a Digital Dark Age for data: why publishers should care about digital preservation. Learned Publishing, 24(1), 35-49. Strodl, S., Mayer, R., Antunes, G., Draws, D., & Rauber, A. (2013, September). Digital preservation of a process and its application to e-science experiments. In Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Preservation of Digital Objects (IPRES2013) (pp. 117-125). Wilson, J. A., Martinez-Uribe, L., Fraser, M. A., & Jeffreys, P. (2011). An institutional approach to developing research data management infrastructure. International Journal of Digital Curation, 6(2), 274-287. Read More