INFS 423 Preservation of Information Resources Session 10 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

College of Education School of Continuing and Distance Education

2015/2016 – 2017/2018

INFS 423 Preservation of Information Resources

Session 10– Preservation of Electronic Documents Lecturer: Mr. Michael Allotey, Dept. of Information Studies Contact Information: mallotey@ug.edu.gh

Session Overview

In this Session, I will introduce you to the complexities of preserving documents in electronic environments. Students will learn about the nature, attributes and characteristics

• f electronic documents that distinguishes them

from other documentary materials and how tto preserve them.

Slide 2

Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Topic One: Defining Electronic Document
• Topic Two: Formats of Electronic Documents
• Topic Three: Types of Electronic Documents
• Topic Four: Protection and Care For Electronic Documents

Slide 3

Reading List

• Akussah, H. (2011). Preservation of Documents. Department of

Information Studies, Legon, NAB Superior Services.

• Gorman, G. E., & Shep, S. J. (2006). Preservation management for libraries,

archives and museums. London: Facet Pub.

• Adcock, E.P. (2000). Principles for the care of handling of Library Materials.

Washington, D.C., IFAPAC.

• Swartburg, S. G. (1983). “Conservation Library.” A Handbook of use and

care of traditional materials. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1983.

• Feather, J. (2004). Managing preservation for libraries and archives:

current practice and future developments. Aldershot, Hants, England, Ashgate Publishing.

Slide 4

DEFINING ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

Topic One

Slide 5

Defining Electronic Documents

• An electronic document is a document that can be

manipulated, transmitted or processed by a computer. Electronic documents are by nature:

• Written on magnetic or optical medium (including magnetic

tapes, cassettes, CD-ROMs, hard disks and diskettes)

• Recorded in binary code (or has digital data)
• Accessed using computer software and hardware.
• Easily manipulated (that is, updated, deleted and so on).

Slide 6

Attributes of Electronic Document

An electronic document must have: 1) Has an identifiable context 3) Has an identifiable content 5) Has a structure (fixed form and a stable content)

Slide 7

Identifiable Context

• Context of document is the framework of action,

activates and / or background information that lead to the creation or modification of the document.

• Context is the background information that helps

explain the meaning of document, i.e. Information that identifies the document, creator and purpose of creation.

Slide 8

Identifiable Content

• The intellectual component of the document or what

the document says. This could also be the subject matter of the document.

Slide 9

Structure (Fixed Form & Stable Content)

• This is the appearance, the arrangement or the format
• f the content of the document.

Slide 10

FORMATS OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

Topic Two

Slide 11

Formats of electronic Documents

Data Sets

Groups of related electronic documents organized and treated as a

• unit. They are created, managed and used in the context of a
• database. E.g.: annual census information for a region.

Text-based documents

Basic word-processed documents, with words only and few or no graphic images.

Multi- dimensional documents

Electronic documents that can be represented in more than one way on the screen and on the printed page. E.g.: spreadsheet can be represented as a set of figures and formulae.

Multi-media documents

Documents composed of a number of different elements, which interact together to display their full meaning. E.g.: graphical, moving image, sound and text documents.

Slide 12

Characteristics of Electronic Documents

The following are some of the characteristics of electronic documents:

• Machine dependency - electronic documents are

machine dependent and for that matter cannot be created, processed, stored or accessed without a computer system

• Compactness – electronic documents can easily

be compressed unto portable devices to save space.

Slide 13

Characteristics of Electronic Documents

• Ease of Duplication - electronic documents lend

themselves to easy manipulation. This implies that they can be easily updated, merged, edited, deleted.

• Re-packaging - electronic documents can more easily

be repackaged into various information products as compared to other document types.

Slide 14

Characteristics of Electronic Documents

• Multi-User Access - electronic documents very easily

lend themselves to multi-user access within a network environment.

• This implies that several people can have access and

can use one electronic record at a time.

Slide 15

TYPES OF ELECTRONIC RECORDS

Topic Three

Slide 16

Types of Electronic Documents

When digital documents are created, they are usually backed up (Copying files/ data to a different medium – disk, tape, flash drive etc.) onto electronic documents. Electronic documents covers the many forms of secondary storage devices. Secondary storage devices fall under 4 broad categories:

• 1. Magnetic, 2. Optical 3. Solid State and 4. Cloud

Slide 17

Magnetic Storage Devices

• Fixed/ Internal Hard

Disk Drive (HDD)

• Portable Hard Disk

Drive

• Magnetic Tapes
• Floppy Disks

Optical Storage Devices

• CD (R, ROM and RW)
• DVD (R, ROM and RW)
• DVD RAM
• Blu-ray Disk

Slide 18

Solid State

• Solid State Drives
• Pen Drives/Memory

Sticks

• Flash Memory Cards

Cloud

• One Drive
• Google Drive
• Drop Box

Slide 19

PROTECTION AND CARE FOR ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

Topic Four

Slide 20

Protection and Care For Electronic Documents

Electronic documents are very sensitive and are easily prone to unauthorized access .They need to be handled carefully to forestall fast deterioration and total lose. They need to be protected at the following two levels: Physical protection Intellectual protections

Slide 21

Physical Protection

• Electronic documents are stored on discs and tapes

either within the computer System (fixed disc) or on external storage devices. These storage devices need to be physically protected through the following: Lockable workstation accommodation Lockable storage equipment Protection against power surges

Slide 22

Intellectual Protection of Electronic Records

• As mentioned earlier, electronic documents are vulnerable

to unauthorized access and alteration. This most often puts the integrity, authenticity and accuracy of these documents in doubt. The following measures can be taken to protect them: Backing-Up Data Migration Pass wording Data Encryption Anti-virus systems

Slide 23

How should Electronic Documents be handled?

Storage environment Handling Storage and use Avoidance of magnetic fields Avoidance of food and drinks Good house keeping

Slide 24

Summary

You have completed Session 10. You have learned:

• The nature of electronic documents
• The attributes of electronic documents
• Formats of electronic documents

Slide 25

References

• Duranti, L., & Rogers, C. (2012). Trust in digital records: An increasingly

cloudy legal area. Computer Law & Security Review, 28(5), 522-531.

• InterPARES. InterPARES 3 project: glossary. Available at: http://

www.interpares.org/ip3/ip3_terminology_db.cfm? letter¼p&term¼38.

• MacNeil, H. (2000). Providing grounds for trust: developing conceptual

requirements for the long-term preservation of authentic electronic

• records. Archivaria, 50.
• Duranti, L. (2010). From digital diplomatics to digital records forensics.

Archivaria, 68, 39-66.

• Electronic vs Digital Data, Retrieved from:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/electronic-vs-digital-data-bernadette- bosse/

Slide 26