Introduction
The Archivematica Appraisal tab can be used to appraise and analyze file transfers that are stored in the backlog. The Appraisal tab 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)
Backlog
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
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. In the Backlog pane, select the file, or directory of files, that you would like to view. Open the Analysis pane and click on the Preview file tab 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
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.
Related resources
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.
Niu, Jinfang, "Appraisal and Selection for Digital Curation." International Journal of Digital Curation 9.2 (2014): 65-82.