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Introduction
There are some specific issues to consider in the archival appraisal of digital objects:
- Appraisal is an important step in the process of preserving digital records. Appraisal decisions have a significant impact on the long term preservation and access of records stored in a digital environment.
- When analyzing information about records and the context of creation, it is important to consider the technological context. Take note of technical components of the hardware, software and electronic systems that were used in the creation of the record.
- When assessing the value of digital records consider the following factors: authenticity, reliability, integrity and accuracy; usefulness, usability and accessibility; uniqueness, diversity, and representativeness.
- The technical characteristics of records (e.g. file format or storage media) have a direct impact on the cost and feasibility of preservation. The value of digital records must be balanced with the technical and financial capacity of the organization to ensure long term preservation and access of obsolete formats.
- Legal constraints also impact the feasibility of preservation. The creation of duplicate copies of records in preservation and access formats must not conflict with copyright or donor restrictions.
- Digital records can be appraised at the item level. It may also be appropriate to identify and select only significant elements of records (e.g. only the important events recorded in a digital calendar or important layers in a digital map).
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Introduction
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The Archivematica Appraisal tab can be used to appraise , and analyze and arrange file transfers that are stored in the backlog. The Appraisal tab features allow supports appraisal decisions by allowing organizations to:
- Examine the content and directory structure of a file transfer
- Identify preservation concerns related to file formats, hardware, software or systems
- Detect the presence of personally identifiable information (PII)
- Select, arrange and add files to a Submission Information Package (SIP)
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- Preview original media files
- Add tags to files
Backlog pane
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File transfers must be sent to the backlog before the appraisal process can begin. To view all files that have been sent to the backlog click the 'Search transfer back log button'.
You can also enter file names, file extensions, accession numbers, ingest dates or transfer UUIDs into the search bar to view specific files in the Backlog pane. To view the contents of a specific file click on the yellow folder icon beside the file name. Click on the Expand all and Collapse all buttons to view and minimize the content of all files at once.
Metadata and log files cannot be manipulated by the user so they are shown greyed out with a strikethrough. The original digital objects are located in an "objects" folder which may be nested in a "data" folder.
Users can also add tags to files in the Backlog pane to support appraisal decisions. Select the files you wish to tag by clicking on the file name or directory name. Enter the tag name in the text box and select Add tag to selected files. To remove tags click on the minus sign next to tag name.
Analysis pane
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Files that are selected in the Backlog pane will be listed in the Analysis pane. Users can analyze the files using four different functions: Objects, Tags, Examine contents, and Preview file.
Under the Objects tab, users can use the Report view to show file information as a list.
Click on Visualizations to view file information in a pie chart.
Click on the Tags tab to view the number and names of tags that have been applied to the selected files.
The Examine Contents tab displays Personally Identifiable Information (PII) reports that are generated during records transfer by the Bulk Extractor microservice. The Bulk Extractor scans files for the presence of Social Security Numbers or credit card numbers. If there are no reports under the Examine Contents tab, the Bulk Extractor did not identify any PII in the selected files. Users can also apply tags to files using the Examine Contents tab to flag content that contains PII. Archivematica does not currently have the ability to remove PII from files.
Within the Analysis tab users can preview selected files without modifying the original files (e.g. changing last accessed time stamp). To preview a file, you must select it from the File list pane.
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In the Backlog pane, select the file, or directory of files, that you would like to view.
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Open the Analysis pane and click on the Preview file tab
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In the File list pane, select the file that you would like to preview. Image files will be displayed in the window; audio and video files will be displayed in a media player.
File list pane
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All files that are selected in the Backlog pane will be displayed in the File List tab. The file list displays information about each file including filenames, file sizes, last modified dates and any tags that have been applied. Users can sort the file list by clicking on the column headers in the table.
Users can also add tags from the File List pane by clicking the check box next to the file name, adding a tag to the text box and clicking Add tag to selected files.
Arrangement
The Arrangement pane can be used to organize and arrange files from the backlog before transforming the material into a SIP.
To create a structure for the SIP click Add directory and enter a name or title for the parent directory.
To create a nested sub-directory, select the name of the parent directory before clicking Add directory. Enter a name for the sub-directory and click OK.
To populate the directory, drag and drop files from the Backlog pane to the Arrangement pane.
Users can also add AtoM levels of description to directories and directory files. Select the directory or object in the Arrange pane. Click Edit metadata and choose the level of description. The level of description will be displayed next to the directory or file in the Arrangement pane.
To create a SIP select the parent directory and click Create SIP.
This will start a SIP on the Ingest tab.
Once the SIP has been turned into an AIP for long-term storage, any remaining files from the original transfer can be deleted from the Backlog tab.
Further reading
Digital Preservation Coalition. "Acquisition and Appraisal." In Digital Preservation Handbook, 2nd Edition, 2015.
Eastwood, Terry. "Appraising Digital Records for Long-term Preservation." Data Science Journal 3 (2004): 202-08.
Hunter, Gregory S. “Selection and Appraisal.” In Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives : A How-To-Do-It Manual. Third edition. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2020.
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Related resources
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