Modeling the process of personal digital archiving through ubiquitous and desktop devices: A systematic review

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore Personal Digital Archiving, and its practices, reasons, and challenges in desktop and in ubiquitous environment such as desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones or smartphones, tablets, and cloud services. Moreover, it is also aimed to develop a model of Personal Digital Archiving process for desktop and ubiquitous devices. This study used Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines for searching and devising, and inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Search was conducted from selected repositories, databases, and core journals, potentially containing studies related with Personal Digital Archiving. Consequently, 21 studies were included through identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion of studies process. It was found that people used multiple devices such as mobile phones or smartphones along with other devices. It was established that people had also used cloud services with different devices including computers and smartphones or tablets for Personal Digital Archiving. Five major categories of individuals’ Personal Digital Archiving practices, that is, backup, replication or duplication, reorganizing and updating, cleaning or removing, and migration of information were found. Moreover, emotional motives, technological causes, alternative access, easy retrieval, and task completion were the reasons to adopt Personal Digital Archiving. On the basis of findings of selected studies, researchers developed a four steps model of Personal Digital Archiving process, consisting of initiation, identification, action, and evaluation constructs. Personal Digital Archiving challenges were also identified such as the individuals had to face through the use of desktop and ubiquitous devices including technical, fragmented and overloaded information, lack of training and expertise, and psychological and miscellaneous challenges. Personal Digital Archiving process model is based on the extracted data from studies published worldwide, and it is useful for both desktop and ubiquitous devices with reference to Personal Information Management context. The findings of the study will be helpful for software designers and android application developers to design and develop users’ centered Personal Information Management software.

Mobile self-efficacy as predictor of mobile-based personal digital archiving practices: a study of Pakistani undergraduates

“…Although studies have been conducted on different aspects of PDA, such as PDA behaviour (Xiangjun, 2018), practice (Marčetić, 2015; Zhao et al , 2019), challenges (Ali and Warraich, 2022b; Sinn et al , 2017) and influencing factors (Sinn et al , 2017). But no comprehensive research has been carried out regarding the impact of mobile self-efficacy on PDA practices in terms of information backup, clearing and deleting.…”

“…Literature review 2.1 Personal digital archiving PDA is a growing area of PIM activities and practices. Ali and Warraich (2022b) conducted a systematic review and identified 22 studies related to PDA practices, reasons and challenges within the context of PIM.…”

“…The literature identified many techniques, practices and activities of PDA that include cleaning, backup, reorganizing and migration (Ali and Warraich, 2022b). Sinn et al (2017) described backup activities and archiving strategies as replications and preservation of printed format information.…”

“…Brown (2015) defined PDA as it entails maintaining digital content so that it can be saved, archived and used in the future. Ali and Warraich (2022b) defined PDA as:…”

“…Previous studies reported the use of different devices for PIM, PDA or information maintaining. These devices include smartphones (Ali and Warraich, 2022b; Becker and Nogues, 2012), mobile phones (AlRukaibani and Chaudhry, 2019; Zhao et al , 2019) and tablets (AlRukaibani and Chaudhry, 2019; Zhao et al , 2019). No such study related to PDA and mobile self-efficacy has been conducted in the extant literature, especially in the Pakistani context.…”