Diplomatics of born digital documents – considering documentary form in a digital environment
| Published date | 16 March 2015 |
| Pages | 6-20 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/RMJ-03-2014-0021 |
| Date | 16 March 2015 |
| Author | Corinne Rogers |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance |
Diplomatics of born digital
documents – considering
documentary form in a digital
environment
Corinne Rogers
School of Library Archival and Information Studies,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to explore a new model of “record” that maps traditional attributes of a
record onto a technical decomposition of digital records. It compares the core characteristics necessary
to call a digital object a “record” in terms of diplomatics or “evidence” in terms of digital forensics. It then
isolates three layers of abstraction: the conceptual, the logical and the physical. By identifying the
essential elements of a record at each layer of abstraction, a diplomatics of digital records can be
proposed.
Design/methodology/approach – Digital diplomatics, a research outcome of the International
Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES) project, gives
archivists a methodology for analyzing the identity and integrity of digital records in electronic systems
and thereby assessing their authenticity (Duranti and Preston, 2008;Duranti, 2005) and tracing their
provenance.
Findings – Digital records consist of user-generated data (content), system-generated metadata
identifying source and location, application-generated metadata managing the look and performance of
the record (e.g., native le format), application-generated metadata describing the data (e.g., le system
metadata OS), and user-generated metadata describing the data. Digital diplomatics, based on a
foundation of traditional diplomatic principles, can help identify digital records through their metadata
and determine what metadata needs to be captured, managed and preserved.
Originality/value – The value and originality of this paper is in the application of diplomatic
principles to a deconstructed, technical view of digital records through functional metadata for
assessing the identity and authenticity of digital records.
Keywords Metadata, Records management, Diplomatics, Digital forensics
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
Diplomatics is the science of document analysis based on a systematic study of extrinsic
and intrinsic elements of documentary form. It is dened as the analysis of the creation,
forms and status of transmission of archival documents, or records, and their
relationship with the facts represented in them and with their creatorto identify,
evaluate and communicate their true nature (Duranti, 1998). The need for a rigorous
method of analysis of ancient documents arose from the proliferation of forgeries in the
early Middle Ages; however, it was not until the seventeenth century that the
foundations of the modern discipline of diplomatic criticism were laid, with the work of
Dom Jean Mabillon and the publication of his De Re Diplomatica in 1681. Originally
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm
RMJ
25,1
6
Received 31 March 2014
Revised 10 September 2014
Accepted 27 October 2014
RecordsManagement Journal
Vol.25 No. 1, 2015
pp.6-20
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/RMJ-03-2014-0021
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