Introduction

Recent decades have seen an exponential increase in the use of computer systems in academic disciplines traditionally thought of as being non-technical. This has partly been driven by the opportunities which computational tools and techniques make possible, and partly by a perceived need to position research at the ‘cutting edge’ of technology. The use of computing is seen as enhancing research funding applications and improving institutional profiles. The rapid uptake of computing has not, however, been accompanied by a commensurate attention to ensuring that digital-based research and deliverables are preserved in the long term.

The process of ensuring long-term access to non-digital material is well understood and while not always fully implemented, it is nevertheless relatively uncomplicated. The situation is markedly different when dealing with material that is wholly, or partly, digital. The preservation of, and provision for long-term access to, even the simplest digital object typically involves marshalling a surprisingly large number of technologies and specialized curatorial skills and tools, and no small degree of expense. In the case of complex digital objects, or hybrid objects, there are only a handful of centres in the UK or internationally which possess the knowledge or resources to tackle the preservation issues involved.

In this introductory chapter we will set out very briefly, and in fairly general terms, the overall preservation landscape as it applies to digital objects. We will try to give some sense of the main approaches available, and their strengths and weaknesses.

Traditional objects and the digital counterparts

Before looking at the principal preservation approaches currently in use, it is probably worth mentioning a fundamental difference between traditional objects and their digital counterparts. A standard textbook is capable of being read and understood by anyone who has sufficient intellectual capability, language skills, comprehension and so on, together with physical access to the material. The very same material in digital form requires something more – a facilitating layer of technology through which access to the content must always be mediated. It is usually possible to access the contents of digital files using more than one particular technology – one might use a Kindle or a PC, for example – but direct unmediated access is not possible.