Submission Information Package (SIP)
- Creighton Barrett
Definition
An Information Package that is delivered by the Producer to the OAIS for use in the construction or update of one or more AIPs and/or the associated Descriptive Information.Â
Introduction
A Submission Information Package (SIP) can include one or more Data Objects transferred from the Producer to the Archive. SIPs can theoretically include digital objects or physical objects or a mix of objects. The constraints on SIPs are agreed upon during the preliminary and formal definition phases of a Producer-Archive Project.
The Producer-Archive Interface Methodology Abstract Standard (PAIMAS) outlines the steps a Producer and Archive should take to define a SIP Model and an overall data model for the project, known as a Model of Objects for Transfer (MOT).
PAIMAS does not address SIP Models, but the related Producer-Archive Interface Specification (PAIS) provides extensive guidance on how to structure and describe SIPs and MOTs. The PAIS SIP Model puts constraints on all possible SIPs within a given Producer-Archive Project. Each type of SIP is distinguished by a SIP Content Type that identifies the type of Transfer Objects (which include groups of data objects) that may or may not be included in the SIP.
Relationship between SIPs and Accessions
PAIMAS and PAIS do not specifically address traditional archival concepts such as accessioning, archival appraisal, and archival description. And the Canadian Archival Accession Information Standard (CAAIS) does not specifically address SIPs.
The standards provide extensive flexibility for the Producer and Archive to negotiate SIP constraints and MOTs that are mutually agreeable. Theoretically, a SIP could include one or more accessions, or an accession could include one or more SIPs.
The Dalhousie University Archives Procedure Manual assumes that an archival accession can include one or more SIPs. One SIP per accession is typical. Due to software limitations and other considerations, the Archives cannot currently enter into Producer-Archive Projects that require a SIP to include more than one accession.
Relationship between SIPs and the Model of Objects for Transfer (MOT)
SIPs do not explicitly reference the Collections identified in the MOT. Transfer objects in a SIP are implicitly related to MOT Collections through the relation element in the Transfer Object Type Descriptor.Â
Relationships between SIPs and the MOT are established through a set of identifiers that are provided in each SIP:
SIP Global Information Container identifies one or more SIP Content Types that each point to authorized Transfer Object Type Descriptor IDs
The SIP Global Information Container includes a reference to the SIP Content Type used to identify the type of SIP (e.g., network transfer of University Records).
The SIP Content Type includes an "Authorized Descriptor" attribute that specifies what Transfer Object Type Descriptor IDs may or may not be included within SIPs that conform to that SIP Content Type.
SIP Transfer Object Type Identification and Status container includes relationship to specific Transfer Object Type Descriptor ID
The SIP includes a Transfer Object Identification and Status container for each Transfer Object Type. The container specifies the Transfer Object Type Descriptor ID.
All Transfer Object Type Descriptors include a relationship to a parent collection in the MOT.
This means a SIP could contain Transfer Objects that belong to a single collection or multiple collections depending on the Producer-Archive Project.
Figure 3-6 in the PAIS tutorial illustrates the relationship between SIPs and the MOT:
Image source
Image source: Relationships between SIP constraints and the MOT. Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems. Producer-Archive Interface Specification (PAIS) – A Tutorial, page 3-6. CCSDS 651.2-G-1 (September 2016). https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/651x2g1.pdf
Examples of SIP specifications
Organization | Specification | Description |
|---|---|---|
Canadiana | This document describes the technical specification for the Canadiana.org Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR) Submission Information Package (SIP). Sumbissions to the TDR must meet all of the SIP requirements described here in order to be accepted for ingest. This is a working draft and is subject to change. The finalized specification will be given the version number 1.0. The specification may be extended from time to time to include additional features, such as support for additional descriptive metadata formats or an expanded range of digital object types. | |
Digital Preservation Network |  | |
European Archival Recods and Knowledge Preservation (E-ARK) | The purpose of this document is to describe the draft specification for the E-ARK SIP and, therefore, this work will be important mainly for E-ARK project partners; including partners who develop pre-ingest and ingest solutions for the E-ARK pilots later in this project. However, to gain also further insights beyond the project partners the draft specification will be disseminated and discussed among other organisations, mainly archival institutions and archival software providers. | |
University of North Texas Libraries | Â | Â |
Related terms
Model of Objects for Transfer (MOT)
References
Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems. Producer-Archive Interface Specification (PAIS) – A Tutorial. CCSDS 651.2-G-1 (September 2016). https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/651x2g1.pdf
Submission Information Package (SIP). IASA Technical Committee, Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects, ed. by Kevin Bradley. Second edition 2009. IASA-TC 04, Section 6.2.1). https://www.iasa-web.org/tc04/submission-information-package-sip .
Mark Phillips, et al. UNT Libraries OAIS Informaton Package Specification. University of North Texas Libraries (October 2015). https://www.library.unt.edu/sites/default/files/documents/digital-libraries-uploads/Appendix_M_UNT_Libraries_OAIS_Information_Package_Specification.pdf.Â