Digital curation and open-source software in LAM-related publications

Abstract

The changing conditions in which LAM institutions operate require constant monitoring of the development of solutions dedicated to different forms of their activities. This article aims at an analysis of the literature related to LAM institutions on open-source software used in digital curation. The undertaken research was an attempt to check the interest in this issue in publications registered in the BASE multi-search database. The research material collected during library searches was analysed using simple bibliometric methods. Based on literature analysis, this paper indicates a growing interest in digital curation in LAM institutions in the context of open-source software. The first publications on this subject recorded in the BASE database date back to 2005. Since then, the number of different publication types has been growing steadily, including in particular conference proceedings and journal articles. An increasing number of authors interested in digital curation associated with many institutions from around the world has also been recorded. The analysis of the material also allowed us to identify various applications available under open-source licences. The article provides an opportunity to look at the changes occurring in the analysed body of literature. It presents leading authors publishing works related to digital curation. It also identifies the most popular software described over 16 years. It provides a comprehensive description of topics and the structure of literature on open-source software used in digital curation. The described analysis results can be a contribution to in-depth research and a set of solutions for practitioners.