What does 'archival' mean?

[mnot]

.. and what is it for?

E.g.,

• What uses are archived documents intended to enable?
• Are the archived documents bit-for-bit immutable, or are changes allowed?
• What other properties do archived documents have?
• Do archived documents have a 1:1 relationship with RFC numbers?

[paulehoffman]

This is a good policy question to deal with sooner rather than later.

[alexisannerossi]

Informally, I always frame "archival" like this: if somebody recovers this file off a disk they found in a pile of rubble - can they read it and hope to understand it? Think in terms of at least 100 years from now, not 10.

More formally, we archive materials because we want them to be preserved, understood and used. Here are some thoughts about what that means (not intended to be exhaustive, just trying to cover some facets).

Preservation

• Multiple copies (LOCKSS - lots of copies keep stuff safe!)
  • we maintain redundant copies that are always up to date
  • store copies with more than one institution, preferably in more than one geopolitical area
  • make it easy for others to mirror on their own
• Audit archives to ensure the integrity of the contents, and the integrity/completeness of mirrors/backups
• Clear understanding of who is responsible for preservation

Understanding

• Context is preserved:
  • ideally the document itself contains all information needed to understand the document, which might include metadata, structural information, definitions, footnotes, etc.
  • outside resources needed to understand the document are also archived, as much as possible
  • Authors of documents and “keepers” of documents work together to preserve context/meaning and make items more usable
• Provenance is clear:
  • know the canonical version
  • understand who the authors are
  • leave the “original” archived doc unchanged
  • understand any changes that have been made to docs or metadata over time (who, what, when, why, how)

Use

• Documents should be usable by the widest array of people possible, including people with print disabilities, people with low bandwidth or mobile-only access, people who speak different languages, etc.
• Documents must remain readable over time (e.g. format shifting as technology changes)
• Documents are cataloged/indexed well and consistently so that they can be found easily by users