Peter Burnhill

Director (Phase One)

www.dcc.ac.uk

Funders:

Aims & Organisation

Digital Curation Centrea centre of expertise in data curation and preservation

2

Overview

• Unifying Themes for the DCC

• Time for Digital Curation

• Aims & Objectives

• Organisation to Succeed

• Plans & Progress: Beyond Phase One

3

Trusted Repositories of Knowledge

The Maori entrusted their knowledge to people, trained to be the repositories,who could:

• receive information with the utmost accuracy

• store information with integrity beyond doubt

• retrieve the information without amendment

• apply appropriate judgement in the use of the information

• pass on the information appropriately.

Whatarangi Winiata, (2002), Repositories of Röpü Tuku Iho: A Contribution to the Survival of Mäori as a People, Wellington: Library & Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Annual Conference, 17-20 November 2002

Special thanks to Professors Derek Law & Seamus Ross

4

= f(data curation & digital preservation) + other concerns

• data curation [when high current/ongoing interest]– actions to make best use of digital data & results over entire life-cycle– adding value; generating new forms of information, for use

• digital preservation [for longevity;fall off in interest]– long-run technological/legal accessibility & usability– storage, maintenance & accessibility of information content in digital

material over the long-term, for use

• of interest/relevance to designated community (OAIS concept)• digital objects and data, over their life-cycle (records management)• for current & future generations of use ...

What is digital curation ...

5

Unifying Themes for the DCC

• ‘data as evidence’– for understanding and decision– for one or more designated communities

• ‘archival responsibility’– at one or more institutional levels– institutional policies & individuals’ competence– legal compliance & agreement on procedures

• turn ‘open access’ into ‘continuing access’• turn costs into investment

– valuing flow of benefit from re-usable assets

6

Time for Digital Curation

• problem of the moment1 data curation & data deluge in e-science/research2 longevity of digital heritage & research investment

• re-examining ‘Communication’ in ICT– Internet and GRID: communication across space

with utmost accuracy

– Digital Curation: communication across time, with utmost accuracy

• ensure Content travels despite turbulence of IT– agree strategies & methods for digital preservation

7

Aims & Objectives for the DCC

‘quality improvement in data curation & digital preservation’

initial focus: data as evidence for scholarly conclusions

wider remit: scholarly communication & eLearning

• ‘excellence in research & excellence in service’• working with repositories, rather than being one• ‘connecting communities’ via Associates Network

– universities & research institutes– scientific data tradition & document tradition

– international & cross-sectoral

Organisation to Engage & Collaborate

Industry

research collaborators

standards bodies

testbeds& tools

communities of practice: users

community support & outreach

research

development co-ordination

service definition & delivery

management & admin support

curation organisations eg DPC

Collaborative Associates Network of DataOrganisations

9

Organisation to Succeed

Phase One leadership over first eight months of funding

• Community Support & Outreach– Led by Dr Liz Lyon (UKOLN, University of Bath)

• Service Definition & Delivery– Led by Professor Seamus Ross (HATII [ERPANET], University of Glasgow)

• Development– Led by Dr David Giaretta (Astronomical Software & Services, CCLRC)

• Research– Led by Professor Peter Buneman (Informatics, University of Edinburgh)

• Management & Co-ordination– Director (Phase One): Peter Burnhill

with Phase One Project Co-ordinator: Robin Rice (both from EDINA & Data Library, University of Edinburgh)

‘Ex Portfolio’: Malcolm Atkinson (NeSC) & Chris Rusbridge (UofGlasgow)

10

Engage Communities of Practice

• with those who have responsibility• … to invoke/provoke good practices

– appraisal & retention/disposal– logical & physical integrity: authenticity/security

• place research in productive research domains– eg Informatics, Law School, e-Science ...

• work on the ‘R&D’, create services of relevance– achieve ‘virtuous circle’– turn products of research into tools for use

13

Planning & Progress

• plan for the Long, with 2020 Vision - 15years on• large territory, and large expectation

– multi-disciplinary, multi data type, multi tradition/profession– national and international, but also local and hidden from view– a lot is going on

• we acknowledge trust and ££’s for tasks in hand– seek collaboration & identify win-win-win scenarios

now, having set the stage• Engaging the Users: Outreach & Community Support• Ensuring Curation Action: Constructing Effective Services• Preparing for the Future: the R&D Programme