The National Archives and Records Administration has opened as a linked open dataset its Digital Preservation Framework that outlines best practices for preserving 684 file formats.
The move seeks to expand access of digital preservation professionals to NARA’s research by publishing data in a machine-readable format that can be linked to associated resources published by other organizations, NARA said Thursday.
“We are putting something out there that fits into a larger set of international resources, like Wikidata for Digital Preservation,” said Leslie Johnston, director of digital preservation.
“It means you can find relevant information from all the authoritative sources and follow the path through what we, and other researchers, know about hundreds of formats and what we suggest should be done with them to maintain accessibility,” Johnston added.
Elizabeth England, senior digital preservation specialist at NARA’s Digital Preservation unit, worked on the framework’s linked data version, while the digital engagement team at the office of innovation was responsible for the public access environment.
The public can use the linked data resource in three ways, including browsing the lists of formats by record category and downloading the full framework file format plans and supporting documentation.
