2024/12/01 by Maali F. Alghnimi, Donald C. Force · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Archaeological Research and Protection #Digital Humanities and Scholarship #Digital and Traditional Archives Management
paper · doi:10.17723/2327-9702-87.2.354
openalex publication_date 2024/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
ABSTRACT University archives conduct digital preservation to provide access to their valuable digital materials. This comparative study explores digital preservation practices and challenges encountered at doctoral universities with a very high research activity (R1), doctoral universities with a high research activity (R2), and doctoral/professional universities (D/PU) in the United States that were listed on the 2021 edition of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. A total of 141 archivists at these institutions completed an online survey about the important aspects of digital preservation including staffing, digital preservation systems and tools, National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) assessment, funding, infrastructure, and collaboration. Statistical analyses reveal some differences across the archives examined in many of the digital preservation aspects such as staffing, systems and tools, and financial needs. Staffing and funding are the most problematic digital preservation challenges facing university archives. Based on the findings of this study, the authors address key questions for future research.