Part II, 7 How to Preserve Open Source Information Effectively

Subject(s):

Access to information — Media — Internet — Production of documents

Audio-visual and other documentary evidence have long played an important role in human rights research and legal accountability. Until recently, the importance of properly preserving audio-visual and documentary information beyond its initial collection and registration has been mostly overlooked outside of the archives and preservation community. However, in an online and digital world, attention to preservation has become critical. This chapter outlines the basic principles, components, and processes of digital preservation, aimed at human rights practitioners who collect and plan to retain digital information over time. It begins by highlighting the particular vulnerabilities of online open source information and explains the meaning of ‘preservation’ in that context. It then delves into each of the functional areas involved in the process of digital preservation, drawing from standards established in the archives and preservation field and illustrated with real-life examples.