Born digital description guidelines (legacy)

LEGACY, FOR REFERENCE ONLY

Overview

In general, the Smith Special Collections Description Guidelines should be followed for all archival materials, regardless of format. For some fields, however, the guidelines will differ for digital content. For example, the Physical Characteristics & Technical note is optional for physical materials but required for digital. The guidelines below refer specifically to describing born-digital content.

Levels of description

General principle: One digital object : one AIP: one archival object

In other words,

• Each digital object record corresponds to only one AIP
• One digital object should be described in its entirety in one archival object (an AIP should not be divided across multiple archival objects (see exceptions below).
• Computer media and the corresponding digital object should be described together in the same archival object. There should not be media items listed in one place and digital files in another.
• You are describing the contents, not the media, although the original media formats should be documented in the extent and processing information.

Following this principle, in most cases (see exceptions below), an AIP (digital object) and the media will be described within one archival object:

• If the media is listed in one place, add the description of digital content where the physical media is described in the container list.

• If the media items are listed in different folders or boxes within an accession, those archival objects should be deleted and a new aggregate description created for all the media items, with the digital object and each box instance attached to that single archival object.

• If the physical media is not listed, add a new archival object at the end of the appropriate accession and describe both the physical media and the digital content to the appropriate series (see instructions for describing computer media).

Exceptions to the above principle:

• multiple digital objects (AIPS) may be described in aggregate (in one archival object), if they are part of the same accession, the same format, and same type of content. The extents should be totaled and two digital object records attached. The physical locations of both disks would be added as instances. * For example, there are two AIPs in the spreadsheet for CDs containing digital images, from two different boxes in the same accession; these can be described in aggregate in one archival object.

• If individual media items are listed and described in a container list and context would be lost if you aggregated them (for example: a CD is filed in a folder and described as part of the paper materials), then add the digital object at each archival object. In this case, you would add the same digital object record to each archival object, attach the file lists for each item (not the AIP-level file list), and calculate the extent of the files copied from the specific item. There is no need to attach the log file if the item titles are included in the description.

Examples

• Description of AIP from single media item: "Susan Wiseheart OLOC digital files.".

  Note: This container list previously had an entry with the title: “Flash drive”. The title of the archival object was changed to a more descriptive title. The original flash drive is noted in the Extent, and in the Processing information note. The contents of the flash drive are described in the Scope and content at the resource and file level.

• Aggregate description of files from multiple CDs “Carolyn Gage digital files”:

• Aggregate description of digital content from media in multiple boxes: Global Campaign for Microbicides digital files

• Aggregate description of multiple AIPs of similar content combined in one archival object: Theresa Carr computer backups

• {need example of Exception to rule: AIP divided up in several archival objects}

A note about restricted or sensitive content

While you are reviewing the collection, logs and file lists, be alert to potentially sensitive or restricted content and alert the Digital Preservation Archivist if you find anything suspicious, or have any questions or concerns. Content should be flagged for further appraisal and possible restriction when:

• the collection carries partial access restrictions, and you think the digital content might fall within the area of restriction (example: access note states that there is confidential third-party material that needs to be separated out before the collection can be open). Any collection-level access restrictions are listed in the final column of the project spreadsheet.

• there is a note in the log file or master spreadsheet specifically stating that content needs to be reviewed prior to access; or there is any note about sensitive, confidential, or restricted content.

• you review the file list and notice documents which may be potentially sensitive material, such as client records or health information.

For more information, see Data-entry instructions for born-digital material.

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CONTENTS

• Project overview
• Locations of digital assets and metadata
• Workflow
• Description guidelines
• Data-entry instructions