Archivist Digital Archives & Information Systems Flashcards

An archivist is implementing a digital asset management system (DAMS). Which metadata element is most critical for ensuring long-term discoverability across systems?

Answer: Persistent unique identifier

Persistent unique identifiers (such as ARKs, DOIs, or Handles) ensure that digital objects remain discoverable and citable even as systems and URLs change over time.

Which approach to digital preservation creates a software environment that mimics obsolete hardware or operating systems to run legacy applications?

Answer: Emulation

Emulation recreates the original computing environment using software, allowing legacy files to be rendered authentically without format migration.

In linked data for archival description, which vocabulary is primarily used to express archival concepts such as provenance and agents?

Answer: Records in Contexts (RiC)

Records in Contexts (RiC) is the ICA's linked data-compatible standard designed to express archival concepts including provenance, agents, functions, and relationships as linked open data.

What is the key distinction between a dark archive and a light archive in digital preservation?

Answer: A dark archive stores content offline without public access while a light archive provides user access

A dark archive maintains preserved content in storage without providing direct public access, functioning as a secure backup, while a light archive provides users access to its holdings.

Which file format is generally preferred for long-term preservation of raster images due to its lossless compression and wide adoption?

Answer: TIFF

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is widely preferred for archival preservation of raster images because it supports lossless compression and is a well-documented, widely supported format.

An archivist implements a 3-2-1 backup strategy. What does this strategy specify?

Answer: 3 copies of data, on 2 different media types, with 1 copy offsite

The 3-2-1 backup strategy calls for maintaining 3 copies of data, stored on 2 different media types, with at least 1 copy stored offsite to protect against local disasters.

Which PREMIS entity represents the people, organizations, or software agents responsible for actions taken on digital objects?

Answer: Agent

In the PREMIS data model, the Agent entity represents any actor — person, organization, or software — that is associated with preservation events affecting digital objects.