Born-Digital Archives and Digital Forensics – Where are We Now?
15 March 2019, 10.00am - 4.30pm
SAS Central
Workshop
Room 246, Second Floor, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
Digital archivists need digital humanities researchers and subject experts to use born-digital collections. Nothing is more important.
M. Kirschenbaum 2013
Born-digital is beginning to shape research and teaching in the humanities. Libraries, archives, institutions and projects are collecting born-digital records at different scales, providing the basis for historical research as well as in all humanities discipines. Yet, the documentary, evidential and forensic dimension of personal born-digital collections, institutional and private born-digital repositories, web- and social media archives still remains to be fully understood and embraced by humanities research. At the same time, digital record authenticity, preservation and manipulation detection became issues of the political, public and historical digital record. Digital forensics is playing an increasingly crucial role in archival science and historical research, not only as a methodological approach and toolset for preservation, but also as a way of thinking about the evidencial value of the digital historical record and the impact of archival processing and curatorial strategies.
This workshop brings together librarians, archivists, born-digital experts and humanities researchers to discuss born-digital challenges, evaluate procedures and methods that ensure secure, regulation-compliant processing, preservation, curation and appraisal of authentic records, and identify opportunities for cross-sector collaboration on born-digital. The workshop discussion will feature exemplary case discussions to address key issues such as preservation and curation challenges, the relevance of securing authenticity, forensic in-depth analysis and mutability of born-digital archives and reflect on which processing, curation and preservation practice, which sustainable preservation and metadata formats best serve humanities research interests.
The whole-day workshop offers an opportunity for archivists, digital preservation professionals and humanities researchers to exchange practical knowledge and methods, based on case studies and research perspectives on applications of digital forensics involving born-digital historical records. Archivists and researchers share and discuss experience, practical as well as conceptual challenges and methodological perspectives in the format of brief case presentations and group discussion. These address the core issue of how archival processing, curation workflows and choice of preservation formats can ensure trust in the authenticity, completeness, sustainability, fixety and citability of born-digital records and their digital context / ecosystem. In the workshop‘s current research section, standards and methods of critical appraisal of born-digital records will be discussed.
Organisers: | Thorsten Ries, James Baker, Jane Winters
Intended audience: Archivists, librarians, humanities and digital humanities researchers.
Program: A detailed program will be made available in due time. Please check this website again.
Registration: Registration for the event is free of charge.
