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The application of archival concepts to a data-intensive environment: working with scientists to understand data management and preservation needs

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Abstract

The collection, organization, and long-term preservation of resources are the raison d’être of archives and archivists. The archival community, however, has largely neglected science data, assuming they were outside the bounds of their professional concerns. Scientists, on the other hand, increasingly recognize that they lack the skills and expertise needed to meet the demands being placed on them with regard to data curation and are seeking the help of “data archivists” and “data curators.” This represents a significant opportunity for archivists and archival scholars but one that can only be realized if they better understand the scientific context.

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Notes

  1. The data deluge is a topic of many articles in the press and popular scientific publications. Recent examples include Nature's special issue, "Data Sharing" (Sept. 2009, Vol. 461(145)); The Economist's special report, "Data, Data Everywhere" (Feb. 2010); and Science Magazine's special issue, "Dealing with Data" (Feb. 2011, Vol 331(6018)).

  2. “III-V” (pronounced “three five”) refers to periodic grouping in the periodic table of elements. III-V semiconductors, comprised of a group III element and a group V element, are commonly used in optical electronic devices such as lasers. Examples of III-V semiconductors include gallium arsenide, gallium antimonide, and indium arsenide.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the materials scientists who shared their experiences with us. We also thank Elizabeth Yakel for her comments on several versions of the manuscript, the members of the University of Michigan Archival Research Group for their suggestions, and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback, which helped to improve the manuscript. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0724300. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Correspondence to Dharma Akmon.

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Akmon, D., Zimmerman, A., Daniels, M. et al. The application of archival concepts to a data-intensive environment: working with scientists to understand data management and preservation needs. Arch Sci 11, 329–348 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10502-011-9151-4

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