InterPARES 2 Summary

 

International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES): Experiential, Interactive and Dynamic Records

Society preserves its memory in its art and architecture, in its books and other printed material, and in the traces of its endeavours captured in the form of records. Records are unique documents that participate in or result from the activities of individuals and organizations, and constitute the primary source of knowledge about those activities. Records are increasingly generated in electronic form and their preservation is complicated by the rapid obsolescence of hardware and software, the fragility of digital storage media, and the ease with which digital information can be manipulated. A portion of our society's documentary memory created and preserved digitally has already been compromised, and, although the extent to which valuable digital information has been lost or has become retrievable only at great expense has yet to be adequately quantified, it is already apparent that the threat is real and widespread. Moreover, as we address this threat, we must remember that preserved records are of little value unless we can be sure they are authentic, that is, that they can be trusted as sources. For centuries, our presumption of the authenticity of records has been premised on the presence in them of visible formal elements such as seals and signatures, on the existence of controls on the procedures by which records are generated, transmitted, used and maintained, and on an uninterrupted line of legitimate custody. The use of digital technology to create records has reconfigured the traditional formal elements by which records were recognized as authentic, allowed for the bypassing of procedural controls, and made of physical custody an elusive concept.

A previous research initiative, known as the InterPARES project, has investigated the issues surrounding the creation and preservation of authentic administrative and legal electronic records in databases and document management systems. In the course of this research new questions arose. What strategies are necessary for the creation and preservation of electronic records generated in the course of artistic and scientific activities? How vulnerable are electronic records created outside of regulated administrative environments? How does the use of interactive, experiential and dynamic systems affect the reliability, accuracy and authenticity of the records from creation to long-term preservation? How can all of these questions be addressed while respecting cultural diversity and pluralism?

This new project assembles a team of researchers from twenty countries and five continents, comprising scholars from both the private and public sectors, affiliated with archival and other government institutions, universities, and cultural institutions, with expertise in several artistic, scientific and administrative disciplines and in the archival and computer sciences, to address these questions. Its aim is to develop a theoretical understanding of new record types and record-creation processes across a variety of activities, and strategies for the appraisal and long-term preservation of these records. Researchers will undertake case studies within each discipline to gather information about new record types and creation practices. The significance of the concepts of reliability, accuracy, and authenticity to records creation and preservation in each discipline will be explored, and models capable of reconciling and transcending the individual disciplines will subsequently be developed to assist in the prototyping and testing of appraisal and preservation strategies. The project will also examine the descriptive requirements of new record types and aggregations, so that they will not only be preserved but remain accessible over the long term, develop an international and interdisciplinary glossary, and lay out the principles and criteria that should guide the formulation of policies and guidelines at various levels.

Archival institutions regard this project as the locus where the knowledge necessary to design and implement effective electronic records preservation systems will be developed. Records creators regard it as the source of information on how specific records creation practices can promote the long-term preservation of their records as trusted evidence of past activities and valued cultural expressions. Moreover, both records creators and preservers are concerned with the protection of patents, copyright, and other forms of intellectual property and trust that InterPARES 2 will provide the thorough and well-tested theoretical understanding necessary to cope with these and other challenges posed to the preservation of authentic records by the rapid evolution of technology.

InterPARES 2: Experiential, Interactive and Dynamic Records