The fair accessor as a tool to reinforce the authenticity of digital archival information

Abstract

The constant changeability of the digital environment raises a complex series of issues regarding the preservation of authentic, accessible, intelligible and reusable digital information. An implementation of the FAIR Accessor, a technology developed with the goal of delivering findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable research data, is discussed as a means of supporting archival description with the goal of ensuring its authenticity. A qualitative literature review focused on some of the main tenets of digital preservation in the fields of Information Science, Diplomatics and research data is followed by a discussion on how the core criteria of each area overlap and complement each other. It is concluded that the FAIR Accessor can assist in providing a rich archival description, ultimately helping to determine the authenticity of records.