Deciding What Data to Keep
"The question is not what we want to keep but what we need to keep. The answer to this question lies in the designated community of the data. A national library will require different data than a legal institution."
Appraisal: the process of evaluating records to determined which are to be retained as archives, which are to be keeps for specified periods and which are to be destroyed.
|
Selection: evaluate the usefulness or value of a digital source. Deciding what materials will be added to a repository. Determining what is significant is dependent on the factor of who the information is being curated for, and for what purpose.
|
"Appraisal" and "Selection" based off the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model
Appraisal and Selection Policy for digital objects typical address four major themes
- evaluate data and select for long-term curation and preservation
- defining the designated community (the people who will use the data and digital objects in the future)
- identifying properties of the data and digital objects to preserve
- deciding how long the digital objects need to be maintained
Appraisal and Selection Policy for digital objects typical address four major themes
- Future users (designated community)
- The Feasibility of preservation (economic and technical)
- Legal and intellectual property rights
- Whether the data is vital to the success of a project or organization
Who Decides?
Ideally, appraisal and selection criteria should be developed by both the professionals who curate data and those who will receive the curated material. Input from stakeholders should also be considered.