Automating the appraisal of digital materials

This paper aims to investigate the requirements for automating aspects of the appraisal process for digital objects. It explores these requirements in the context of automating re‐appraisal and questions many of the assumptions commonly made about appraisal and about automating the processes needed for life‐cycle management of digital objects.

The literature of digital preservation and curation and the experience of one of the authors in planning to implement a digital archive at the Wellcome Library are the basis of an exploration of issues.

The development of automated appraisal systems and associated tools is a worthwhile endeavour, although the complexity and cost associated with designing, developing and implementing them may be prohibitive in some situations. An automated appraisal system may, however, have only limited benefits in some contexts. The re‐appraisal of technical attributes of digital materials, which is an essential part of their management, is a prime contender for some level of automation. The approach proposed has limitations which arise from such factors as metadata requirements and trustworthiness.

The paper articulates assumptions made about automation and applies these in order to gain a better understanding of the requirements of automating aspects of appraisal in a digital archive.