Evaluation of Preserved Scientific Processes

Abstract

Abstract. Digital preservation research has seen an increased focus is on objects that are non-deterministic but depend on external events like user input or data from external sources. Among those is the preservation of scientific processes, aiming at reuse of research outputs. Ensuring that the preserved object is equivalent to the original is a key concern, and is traditionally measured by comparing significant properties of the objects. We adapt a framework for comparing emulated versions of a digital object to measure equivalence also in processes.

Documenting Information Processes and Practices: Paradata, Provenance Metadata, Life‐Cycles and Pipelines

“…A glance at the literature shows that the issue of documenting and describing processes and practices has been discussed in different parts of the information science and technology field from diverse perspectives and covering such a variety of contexts from scientific (Leipzig et al, 2020; Thomer et al, 2018) and scholarly information (Huvila, 2020; Trace & Karadkar, 2017) to workplace studies (Trace, 2011), game heritage (Prax et al, 2019), digital preservation (e.g. Mayer et al, 2013a) and curation (Chao, 2014), and archives and records management (Trace, 2020). In spite of the varied contexts and perspectives, it is possible to identify certain trends.…”

“…In the context of data-intensive scientific work, calls for reproducibility of research and the reusability of research data have contributed to a comparable interest in formalising the documentation of work procedures. Digital preservation research has emphasised the need Panels to preserve complete computer systems through meticulous documentation of the technical system and its use (Mayer et al, 2013a) together with its social, including for instance, legal context (Mayer, et al, 2013b). Several different conceptualisations of procedures and their representations exist.…”

“…Several different conceptualisations of procedures and their representations exist. A part of the literature refers to process curation (Rauber, 2012) or preservation of processes (Mayer, et al, 2013a) understood as consisting of the collection, pre-processing and use of data. Pipelines refer to a series of computational transformations performed on data.…”