As the field of digital preservation matures, there is an increasing need to systematically assess an organization's abilities to achieve its digital preservation goals, and a wide variety of assessment tools have been created for this purpose. To map the landscape of research in this area, evaluate the current maturity of knowledge on this central question in DP and provide direction for future research, this paper reviews assessment frameworks in digital preservation through a systematic literature search and categorizes the literature by type of research. The analysis shows that publication output around assessment in digital preservation has increased markedly over time, but most existing work focuses on developing new models rather than rigorous evaluation and validation of existing frameworks. Significant gaps are present in the application of robust conceptual foundations and design methods, and in the level of empirical evidence available to enable the evaluation and validation of assessment models. The analysis and comparison with other fields suggest that the design of assessment models in DP should be studied rigorously in both theory and practice, and that the development of future models will benefit from applying existing methods, processes, and principles for model design.

PurposeConventional approaches to digital preservation posit that archives should define a Designated Community, or future user group, for whom they preserve digital information. Archivists can then use their knowledge of these users as a reference to help them deliver digital information that is intelligible and usable. However, this approach is challenging for archives with mandates to serve wide and diverse audiences; these archives risk undermining their efforts by focusing on the interests of a narrow user group.Design/methodology/approachA unique approach to this challenge was developed in the context of a project to build a digital preservation program at the Ontario Jewish Archives (OJA). It draws from previous research on this topic and is based on a combination of practical and theoretical considerations.FindingsThe approach described here replaces the reference of a Designated Community with three core components: a re-articulation of the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) mandatory responsibilities; the identification of three distinct tiers of access for digital records; and the implementation of an access portal that allows digital records to be accessed and rendered online. Together with supplemental shifts in reference points, they provide an alternative to the concept of a Designated Community in the determination of preservation requirements, the identification of significant properties, the creation of Representation Information and in the evaluation of success.Originality/valueThis article contributes a novel approach to the ongoing conversation about the Designated Community in digital preservation, its application and its limitations in an archival context.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the curation of government-produced datasets for release as open government data (OGD) from the perspective of the digital curation and preservation concept of a “Designated Community”. Specifically, it explores how digital curation functions when there is no clear Designated Community to which curation services can be targeted. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted through a case study of the City of Toronto’s efforts to revitalize their OGD program. Data was collected using three methods: semi-structured interviews, non-participative observation and document analysis. Findings The curators of OGD responded to the absence of a Designated Community through two complementary methods. The first was to draw from the discourse that defines the OGD domain. The second was to take a participatory approach that incorporated members of the community surrounding OGD and various other stakeholders into the process of developing a plan for the revitalization of the program. Research limitations/implications This study opens new directions for investigating the application of the Designated Community concept and its role in digital curation and preservation. Practical implications The approach used by OGD curators in this case has the potential to be used in other curation situations where there is no clearly defined user group. Originality/value The findings presented in this paper contribute empirical insights to on-going discussions on the concept of a Designated Community in digital curation and preservation.

With the growing importance of data to the scholarly record and the critical role journals play in facilitating data sharing, the complex landscape of scholarly journal data publication policies has become an obstacle for research. This paper outlines Data-PE, a framework for evaluating these policies. It takes the form of a conceptual foundation, comprising twelve criteria for evaluation, operationalized through an evaluation tool. Its objective is to function as a flexible means for a variety of stakeholders to appraise individual policies. Examples of the use of the framework are provided and means for the validation of the tool are discussed.

To understand and improve their current abilities and maturity, organizations use diagnostic instruments such as maturity models and other assessment frameworks. Increasing numbers of these are being developed in digital curation. Their central role in strategic decision making raises the need to evaluate their fitness for this purpose and develop guidelines for their design and evaluation. A comprehensive review of assessment frameworks, however, found little evidence that existing assessment frameworks have been evaluated systematically, and no methods for their evaluation. This article proposes a new methodology for evaluating the design and use of assessment frameworks. It builds on prior research on maturity models and combines analytic and empirical evaluation methods to explain how the design of assessment frameworks influences their application in practice, and how the design process can effectively take this into account. We present the evaluation methodology and its application to two frameworks. The evaluation results lead to guidelines for the design process of assessment frameworks in digital curation. The methodology provides insights to the designers of the evaluated frameworks that they can consider in future revisions; methodical guidance for researchers in the field; and practical insights and words of caution to organizations keen on diagnosing their abilities.