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Digital repositories offer a great benefit to people in a variety of settings, especially since an ever‐increasing amount of information is being gathered, transmitted, and preserved through various technologies. The purpose of this paper is to underscore trust as a critical element in the infrastructure of digital repositories and to look more closely at trusted digital repositories from the perspective of the user communities for which they are designed.

The paper looks to the literature in reviewing the concept of trust and its role in an online environment. Attention is then paid to trusted digital repositories, with close examination of the user communities’ perceptions of trust and the impact of these perceptions. Special attention is given to users within the academic community.

While digital repositories may be trustworthy because of adherence to technological standards, accepted practices, and mechanisms for authenticating the authorship and accuracy of their content, it is ultimately their respective stakeholders – both those who deposit and use content – whose perceptions play a central role in ensuring a digital repository's trustworthiness.

A future empirical study would be beneficial in order to measure perceptions of trust as contributing factors to the trustworthiness of digital repositories.

This paper provides a useful resource for persons wishing to review the topic of trusted digital repositories or increase their awareness in this area.

This paper offers a focused look at various levels of trust as they relate to the dissemination of scholarly communication in the academic world, particularly through institutional repositories.

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide an overview on certification of institutional repositories as a means to support open access in Germany and a description of the DINI Certificate 2006 developed by DINI, the German Initiative for Networked Information. Design/methodology/approach – The “DINI certificate for document and publication repositories” shows potential users and authors of digital documents that a certain level of quality in operating the repository is guaranteed and that this distinguishes it from common institutional web servers. The certificate can also be used as an instrument to support open access. Findings – Repository certification will not be the main factor in achieving open access to academic information globally, but it can support the spread of institutional repositories and enhance visibility of the “institutional repository”‐service. Research limitations/implications – The DINI Certificate as a “soft” certificate aims towards interoperability of digital repositories, the coaching idea prevails. It does not provide an exhaustive auditing tool for trusted digital long‐term preservation archives. Practical implications – The “DINI certificate for document and publication repositories” pushed the development of institutional repositories in Germany according to certain organisational and technical standards and contributes to the interoperability amongst digital repositories worldwide. Originality/value – This paper describes a unique approach that has been implemented in Germany and could be transferred to other countries and communities.

To discuss the issues and challenges of digital preservation facing institutional repositories and to illustrate the Joint Information Systems Committee's (JISC) view on institutional repositories and its key initiatives in helping UK institutions address these issues.

A combination of published work and JISC documents (public facing or internal) were used as reference material.

Digital preservation is a complex process and there are still many unsolved issues which make it a challenging task for institutional repositories. However, the wide deployment of institutional repositories also provides new opportunities for digital preservation. Much could be done to consider digital preservation from the outset, to involve the authors and to embed digital preservation into repository workflow, which will ease the later preservation tasks.

A number of ongoing JISC‐funded projects are briefly reported which explore different models for the provision of digital preservation services for institutional repositories. These models may be a way forward to tackle collectively the issue of long‐term preservation within the setting of institutional repositories. Depending on the outcomes of the projects, further investigation and implementation could be undertaken to test the models.

This paper will help the reader to gain a better understanding of the issues related to digital preservation in general and how JISC's work has helped to tackle these issues.

This paper clearly states JISC's view on, and future plan for, digital repositories. This is of value to the UK educational community as JISC works on its behalf and responds to its needs.

The purpose of this paper is to examine digital preservation of e-government in Ghana under the research question: what are the current digital preservation strategies being deployed across the ministries and agencies in Ghana?

Guided by a conceptual framework, underpinned by a quantitative approach, the paper uses the survey approach, to address the digital preservation strategies deployed across public sector organisations in Ghana. It underscores the link between the conceptual framework and the literature to analyse the various digital preservation strategies.

Backup strategy, migration, metadata and trusted repositories were noted as the most widely implemented preservation strategies across the ministries and agencies. On the other hand, cloud computing, refreshing and emulation were the least implemented strategies used to address the digital preservation challenges.

The paper adds to the existing conceptual underpinnings that have dominated the debate about data management, archival storage, preservation strategies, challenges and best practices of digital preservation of e-government.

This study draws its originality from the evidence of studies on digital preservation in Ghana as most studies have rather focussed on the preservation of documentary heritage, preservation and security of microfilms, preservation practices in the public records (Akussah, 2002; Ampofo, 2009; Festus, 2010). The emergence of this study addresses the knowledge gap in the preservation of digital records in a country where little attention has been accorded to digital preservation. The study also feeds into Ghana’s vision 2020 and the information communication technology policy document of the ministry of communication which aims at ensuring that Ghanaians have access to information and communication technology products and services.

This article aims to analyze the relationship between the Norwegian Noark Standard and the concepts of Open Government and Freedom of Information (FOI). Noark is the Norwegian model requirements for Electronic Documents and Records Management Systems (EDRMS). It was introduced in 1984, making it not only the world’s first model requirement for EDRMS but also, through the introduction of versions from Noark 1 to the present Noark 5, internationally the model requirement with the longest continuation of implementation.

To better understand the technical outline and functionality of the Noark Model requirements, it is necessary to see the connection to the wider framework of the Norwegian governance legislation and its FOI Act (Norway, Freedom of Information Act, 2006) on the right of access to documents held by the public administration and public undertakings. FOI is the foundation on which the Norwegian Open Government platform (OEP) rests, as it aims to increase openness and transparency in the Norwegian society. Being one of the first national initiatives to incorporate in a single platform an up-to-date nationwide registry of metadata deriving from the EDRMS of the governmental sector, OEP is a model which could have relevance in open government settings also outside of Norway.

Non-fixity and randomness in the registering of metadata decrease the possibility of systematic search and systematic retrieval, since search within records presumably requires a combination of two or more sets of metadata. Context is a crucial component in information retrieval from records, and no records contain only one metadata element. With few exceptions, a record relates to another record, and the relation between the two of them is in itself a set of metadata. If the metadata relating the two records does not follow a standardized format, retrieval possibilities will remain random. The unpredictability following inadequate search results will decrease the credibility and the trust factor which should lie imminent within the information system. The absence of adequate search results will lead to an immediate decrease in the public’s perception of the system being valid or relevant as a trusted source of information. If metadata within a governmental agency is known to be subject to non-authorised alterations, deletion on changes, trust in the authenticity and integrity of the information provided from the agency will decrease significantly. This subsequently decreases predictability in the retrieval of information within the EDRMS. The parameters securing non-alteration of metadata once locked in the Noark-compliant EDRMS, may be measured against the absence of the same in any system being compared.

An adequate analysis describing the principles of trust embedded in the weekly or daily dissemination of metadata from the Noark databases to the OEP somehow has to explain certain parameters. These parameters within the Noark requirements eliminate the possibility of unauthorised deletion, alteration or manipulation of metadata and documents in the databases of the governmental organisations. The combination of parameters also creates context. The metadata transferred from the Noark systems to the OEP platform may never have been stored within a trusted digital repository. Transfer to the OEP happens weekly, whilst transfer to the repository of The National Archives is performed far less seldom – perhaps every tenth year. The contents of the Noark-based systems are not stored in trusted digital repositories in the governmental agencies, but remain part of the ordinary grid of servers and databases.

Based on a three‐level digital preservation framework, the purpose of this paper is to suggest a solution for long‐term digital preservation for the public administration sector, in the form of a centralised intermediate repository, on the basis of the concept of cloud computing.

By means of a thorough review of the literature in this area and an analysis of the current state of the art, the paper investigates a three‐level digital preservation framework with a focus on the public sector. It cross‐links this framework with the cloud computing concept, in order to propose an appropriate solution.

The mapping of six factors of digital preservation to three levels of digital preservation shows that using appropriate steps supported by suitable strategies and policies enables the public administration sector to take advantage of modern information technology and solve the demanding and critical problem of digital preservation.

The paper suggests an organisational and technological solution in the form of a centralised digital preservation repository within a cloud computing framework, to aid both organisations of the public sector which deal with active life cycle document phases and archives and libraries which deal with passive phases of documents and records.

The paper addresses the difficulties of digital preservation implementation in the public administration sector. The findings indicate that while developing and implementing digital preservation, the public administration sector should formulate common policies and solutions based on the suggested results of this paper and, in doing so, maximise the benefits of current technologies.

Describes the background, design and working of a set of tools to catalogue and ingest (import) objects into a digital archive. The toolset had their origin in a collaboration between OCLC and RLG to define the characteristics of a trusted digital repository. The working of the tools is outlined. Their usage by the Connecticut State Library is discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of Blockchain technology as a solution to creating and preserving trustworthy digital records, presenting some of the limitations, risks and opportunities of the approach.

The methodological approach involves using the requirements embedded in records management and digital preservation standards, specifically ISO 15,489, ARMA’s Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles, ISO 14,721 and ISO 16,363, as a general evaluative framework for a risk-based assessment of a specific proposed implementation of Blockchain technology for a land registry system in a developing country.

The results of the analysis suggest that Blockchain technology can be used to address issues associated with information integrity in the present and near term, assuming proper security architecture and infrastructure management controls. It does not, however, guarantee reliability of information in the first place, and would have several limitations as a long-term solution for maintaining trustworthy digital records.

This paper contributes an original analysis of the application of Blockchain technology for recordkeeping.

The purpose of this case study is to discuss the creation of robust preservation functionality within PURR. The study seeks to discuss the customization of the HUBzero platform, composition of digital preservation policies, and the creation of a novel, machine-actionable metadata model for PURR's unique digital content. Additionally, the study will trace the implementation of the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) model and track PURR's progress towards Trustworthy Digital Repository certification.

This case study discusses the use of the Center for Research Libraries Trusted Repository Audit Checklist (TRAC) certification process and ISO 16363 as a rubric to build an OAIS institutional repository for the publication, preservation, and description of unique datasets.

ISO 16363 continues to serve as a rubric, barometer and set of goals for PURR as development continues. To become a trustworthy repository, the PURR project team has consistently worked to build a robust, secure, and long-term home for collaborative research. In order to fulfill its mandate, the project team constructed policies, strategies, and activities designed to guide a systematic digital preservation environment. PURR expects to undertake the full ISO 16363 audit process at a future date in expectation of being certified as a Trustworthy Digital Repository. Through its efforts in digital preservation, the Purdue University Research Repository expects to better serve Purdue researchers, their collaborators, and move scholarly research efforts forward world-wide.

PURR is a customized instance of HUBzero®, an open source software platform that supports scientific discovery, learning, and collaboration. HUBzero was a research project funded by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) and is a product of the Network for Computation Nanotechnology (NCN), a multi-university initiative of eight member institutions. PURR is only one instance of a HUBzero's customization; versions have been implemented in many disciplines nation-wide. PURR maintains the core functionality of HUBzero, but has been modified to publish datasets and to support their preservation. Long-term access to published data are an essential component of PURR services and Purdue University Libraries' mission. Preservation in PURR is not only vital to the Purdue University research community, but to the larger digital preservation issues surrounding dynamic datasets and their long-term usability.

This paper aims to present a case wherein a public archive intervenes in maintaining and preserving digital records (including underlying technological infrastructure) created by a private company to protect the trustworthiness of records, thereby helping the company to discharge their accountability.

This paper details the intervention of Tianjin Municipal Archives in the management of the records of Tianjin Otis Elevator Co., Ltd, the technical infrastructure that enables and supports such configuration, the issues encountered and the theoretical implications of this case.

This case suggests that not only does the concept of archives as a trusted third party remain relevant in the changing technological environment but also, in certain cases (e.g. wherein the supplier of evidentiary documents holds a monopoly over an industry), archives are becoming increasingly critical in maintaining the reliability and authenticity of digital records in the cloud environment.

Given the challenges raised by the emerging cloud environment, it is vital to develop a renewed understanding of the concept of archives as a trusted third party, the relationship between archives and commercial third party services and the relationship between public archives and private records. Furthermore, this case identifies the need to re-examine archival methodologies to protect the authenticity of structured data.

This case exemplifies how archives can help private organizations address issues related to guaranteeing and demonstrating the evidential nature of digital records and provides empirical evidence for archives being conceptualized as a trusted third party in maintaining and preserving digital records.