Module Information

Module Identifier
DSM6010
Module Title
Digital Preservation
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Distance Learning
Reading List
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Report  One report / written presentation (equivalent to 2,500-3,000 words) 2,500-3,000 words  100%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

* Provide an analytical, contextual account of the development of digital preservation as a 21st century information issue

* Identify and critically evaluate the characteristics of digital objects, justify the need to preserve each characteristic for continued access and develop a strategy for digital preservation

  • Propose methods for developing and maintaining control over a complex array of digital forms and formats, which address the necessary conditions, techniques and models for digital preservation

* Critically assess national and international standards, frameworks and models for digital preservation

* Formulate rational hypotheses regarding the potential role of institutional repositories and open access initiatives in enabling digital preservation

Brief description

The module encompasses the complex issues surrounding continuing access to digital information, frameworks for preservation decision-making and strategies for the preservation of digital information, records, IT platforms, systems and architectures to ensure that records remain authentic, reliable, usable and possess integrity.

Content

Topics to be covered comprise:
• Digital preservation, directives and the discipline
• Digital preservation standards
• Lifecycle management of digital materials
• The policy environment
• Digital preservation strategies, tools and metadata
• XML for metadata and digital preservation
• Designing and creating curation ready data and storage media for digital preservation
• Preservation information packages
• Preservation software

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Communication Oral and written communication via tutorials and classroom discussion/online forums in VLE and assessed work
Improving own Learning and Performance Self management: students make their own selections relating to sector for specialisation/directed study through exercises in certain units and assessed work.
Information Technology Students are expected to utilise the VLE, and other technical systems during practical sessions. Coursework requires the application of IT in its presentation.
Personal Development and Career planning Career needs awareness encouraged and assessed through the group project exercise and report
Problem solving Exercises which seek to identify the needs of the organisation and how best these might be met under different operational conditions
Research skills Analysis of sets of resources and their application to a research problem
Subject Specific Skills Professional skills development in digital preservation in recordkeeping design.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7