The DCC curation lifecycle model

Abstract

The scientific record and the documentary heritage are increasingly created in digital form. The UK based Digital Curation Centre supports institutions who store, manage and preserve such data to help ensure its enhancement and continuing long-term use. The DCC (Digital Curation Centre) Curation Lifecycle Model provides a generic graphical high-level overview of the stages required for successful curation and preservation of digital material from initial conceptualisation. The model can be used to plan curation and preservation activities, to ensure sustainability of repository content or other digital material, within an organisation or consortium. It will help to ensure that all necessary stages are undertaken, each in the correct sequence. The model enables granular functionality to be mapped against it to define roles and responsibilities, and build a framework of standards and technologies to implement. It can help with the process of identifying additional steps which may be required, or actions which are not required by certain situations or disciplines, and of ensuring that processes and policies are adequately documented. Digital Curation Centre staff developed the model before undertaking a period of public consultation, which was recently completed. The newly ratified model will is being used by the DCC to ensure that information, services and advisory material cover all areas of the lifecycle. Domain-specific variations of the model will be developed, with greater levels of granularity, to help ensure that advice and information are easily accessible from the website. One planned utilisation is the development of domain specific standards frameworks within the DCC DIFFUSE Standards Frameworks project, to help practitioners identify which standards they should be using and where they would be appropriately implemented. This poster will present the DCC Curation Lifecycle Model, incorporating the results of the public consultation period held during December 2007 to February 2008.