Survey of practices in the implementation of digital repositories

• clbrooke@our.ecu.edu.au

05 May 2010Seeking the cooperation of DR Managers in the cultural heritage space to gather data on the implementation of digital repositories.

I am a Masters student at Edith Cowan studying digital repository implementation in the cultural heritage space.  A Digital Repository (DR) is a set of services and technologies that provide the means to collect, manage, provide access to, disseminate, and preserve digital materials (Shreeves and Cragin, 2008).

This research project aims to collect data describing DR implementation from a population of DRs in the online cultural heritage space. To this end, a survey instrument has been developed utilising criteria set out by the Trustworthy Repositories Audit and Certification: Criteria and Checklist (TRAC) developed by the Research Libraries Group (RLG) and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Digital Repository Certification Task Force in 2007.

I am seeking the cooperation of DR Managers in the cultural heritage space to gather data on the implementation of DRs. Survey data will be collected and analysed to provide a view of implementation practices and issues as DR Managers perceive them.

The survey is taking place at a time when the future of digital collections is uncertain. It is very important that evidence describing the current state of maturity of initiatives is gathered to permit analysis of areas of greatest risk and to provide a basis for measurement of progress in the future. The survey results could potentially be utilised by agencies when they are developing applications for further or increased funding for their DR initiatives.

Your participation:

By completing the survey, you will be assisting in the investigation of the current status of good practices in planning, designing and implementing digital repositories. This could improve resource usage by reducing waste and encouraging more strategic choices with longer term benefit for agencies and the communities that provide their funding. Completion of the survey provides an opportunity to review your DR implementation. It is anticipated that the results will be communicated via presentation at the Australian Society of Archivists Inc. conference and by journal publication. A summary of findings will also be provided to individual participants on request.

Research protocol:

No name identified data is to be published as a consequence of this project and all data gathered is to remain strictly confidential. The research protocol is fully described in the prologue to the online survey. In most instances, the survey can be completed by clicking the radio button next to the value which best fits your agency’s circumstances. The estimated completion time is 15 minutes.

Yes, I want to participate!

Please share your knowledge and experience by complete the survey online by clicking the link below or copying and pasting the link to your browser:

http://ecupsych.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6VAwE0iijMZpdMo&SVID=Prod

If you prefer, the survey can be completed over the phone. To arrange this please send an email to clbrooke@our.ecu.edu.au.

About the Principal Researcher:

The Principal Researcher, Chloe Brookes‐Kenworthy, is a Masters by Course Work student in the Archives and Records Management stream of the School of Computer and Security Science at Edith Cowan University. She is employed as an Archivist at the NSW Land and Property Management Authority and is a member of the Australian Society of Archivists Inc.

Any questions about the research may be directed to Chloe Brookes‐Kenworthy by email: clbrooke@our.ecu.edu.au. For further information about the researcher and this research you can contact the Supervisor, Dr Mark Brogan, School of Computer and Security Science, Edith Cowan University on 08 9370 6300 or by email: m.brogan@ecu.edu.au .