[Rdap] What makes an 'Archive Quality' Digital Object?

[Ruth Duerr]

On Apr 27, 2011, at 10:21 AM, Michael J. Giarlo wrote:

> On 04/26/2011 03:30 PM, Joe Hourcle wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> The first bit I have trouble wrapping my mind around is that the notion
>>> of archival quality is binary, that an object can be of archival quality
>>> or not.
>> 
>> Maybe I should be asking the opposite --
>> 
>> What would make a digital object *not* of archival quality?
> 
> I'd respond the same. :)  I couldn't confidently say whether an object 
> is archival or not archival w/o a lot more context along the dimensions 
> I mentioned (use, file formats, retention period, etc.), and even then I 
> would be inclined not to say it's archival or not but rather give a 
> qualified judgment on *how* likely I think that object will be around in 
> N years.
> 
>> I guess what I'm really looking for is something like TRAC or Data Seal of
>> Approval, but instead of guidelines for the repository, focuses on the
>> qualities of a good self-documenting file or package that could later be
>> ingested by an archive for them to maintain.
> 
> Nothing comes to mind, but I'd be interested in hearing examples of the 
> same.
> 
> I guess this might be a good place to bring up what may be a related 
> technology:
> 
> """
> Data Format Description Language (DFDL, often pronounced daff-o-dil) is 
> a modeling language from the Open Grid Forum for describing general text 
> and binary data. A DFDL model or schema allows any text or binary data 
> to be read (or "parsed") from its native format and to be presented as 
> an instance of an information set. The same DFDL schema also allows data 
> to be taken from an instance of an information set and written out (or 
> "serialized") to its native format.
> """ -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Format_Description_Language
> 
> I haven't had the occasion to use DFDL -- and I tend to shy away from 
> huge blobs of XML and XML Schema -- but it could have some promise in 
> this area.  Has anyone else used DFDL or thought about it in the context 
> Joe brings up?
> 

I think THG looked at DFDL (along with a whole host of other such schemas) when they started working on developing human/machine readable maps to the content of HDF4 files.  They ended up developing their own schema based loosely on PREMIS.  I should note that the schema and map creating software is nearing final release and NASA EOSDIS plans on mapping each HDF4 file in the archives of their Earth Science Data Centers.

> Btw, Joe, I appreciate your catalog checklist and the four 
> characteristics you shared.  Good starting point.
> 
> -Mike
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