Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The development of web archiving
- 3 Selection
- 4 Collection methods
- 5 Quality assurance and cataloguing
- 6 Preservation
- 7 Delivery to users
- 8 Legal issues
- 9 Managing a web archiving programme
- 10 Future trends
- Appendix 1 Web archiving and preservation tools
- Appendix 2 Model permissions form
- Appendix 3 Model test script
- Appendix 4 Model issues log
- Appendix 5 Model job description
- Bibliography
- Index
- Digital Preservation
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The development of web archiving
- 3 Selection
- 4 Collection methods
- 5 Quality assurance and cataloguing
- 6 Preservation
- 7 Delivery to users
- 8 Legal issues
- 9 Managing a web archiving programme
- 10 Future trends
- Appendix 1 Web archiving and preservation tools
- Appendix 2 Model permissions form
- Appendix 3 Model test script
- Appendix 4 Model issues log
- Appendix 5 Model job description
- Bibliography
- Index
- Digital Preservation
Summary
Introduction
Any web archive requires some mechanism for allowing its designated community of users to access its content. This is true even if the only users are staff in the collecting organization. Such a delivery system needs to provide two basic functions: a means for users to discover content of interest and a means to deliver that content to the user in a meaningful form.
That meaningful form derives from two aspects of the archived content:
1 Context: The original and current context of the archived content should be clearly indicated. This includes maintaining the integrity of the relationships between various elements of archived content, describing the provenance of that content, and providing a clear distinction between the archived content and any ‘live’ instances of that content which may also be extant.
2 Authenticity: The archived content should be delivered in a form which is authentic to the original, subject to the particular authenticity requirements of the collecting organization. Any divergence between the archived content and the original, such as missing content or functionality, should be highlighted.
Each of these can pose significant challenges, many of which are unique to the delivery of archived web content. It must also be emphasized that, to date, relatively little research has been undertaken into the potential use of web archives, and our understanding of the types of usage that will need to be supported by delivery systems is therefore immature. This chapter provides an overview of how both functions may be provided, and of the issues that can arise when providing access to archived web content.
Search and browse access
The two fundamental methods used to discover and navigate web content are searching and browsing. Searching is the most common method for initially finding content of interest, while a degree of browsing is likely once an initial starting point has been identified. Structured, browseable methods for finding content can also be useful for users with particular or pre-existing knowledge. For a web archive delivery system to be genuinely useful, it must therefore support both modes to some degree.
Search access
Search access provides a vital tool for users. A number of options are available.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Archiving Websitesa practical guide for information management professionals, pp. 127 - 145Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2006