Digital preservation needs of scientific communities: The example of Göttingen University

Abstract

Digital information has become an integral part of our cultural and scientific heritage. We are increasingly confronted with scientific findings, historical events and cultural achievements presented in electronic form. The rapid pace of technical change is causing data carriers and data formats to age quickly. The result is an acute threat to the long-term usability of digital objects which serve as sources for science and research. The necessity for long-term preservation has to be anchored in the social context of the national information, research and cultural policy, and the global integrations of science and research. To examine the preservation needs in the context of large scaled research facilities the awareness and practices at the University of Göttingen and at the ETH Zürich was explored. As a first step, an online questionnaire was developed and conducted in summer 2007. The poster explains first findings of the online survey. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.