1. Store it safely
You’ll be aware of the importance of backing up the files on your computer. But are you aware of some of the key things you need to consider when you want to store your digital material safely so that you can still access it 6months, 1 year, 3 years, 10years from now?
These slides highlight some of the important considerations, and why they’re important to you – no matter what your research is on. And they apply to your personal digital records (like music, documents and photos) too.
Photo by Cennydd via flickr:

2. Storage: what you should do
Make multiple copies
Keep them in different places to minimise loss due to fire, flood, theft etc.
Use different types of storage:
External hard drives
Networked storage
Cloud-based storage
Back up is only one aspect of preservation

3. Choosing formats Don’t use default formats unthinkingly Consider:
What is the best format for your data
What hardware/software collaborators use
Over the long term, proprietary formats can become obsolete
For archival copies choose formats that are:
open
in widespread use
conform to standards

4. Organising your information
Without organisation, finding a specific piece of information is likely to be difficult.
A system means that it’s easier to find things again in the long term
Explain and document it to make it even easier
Key things to consider:
names you give files and folders
use of tags, or information in file properties
conventions in your field

5. Selecting what to keep Law/policy/mandate Emotional attachment Cost
Are you obliged to keep the data?
Are you obliged to destroy them?
Emotional attachment
A surprisingly powerful force, don’t underestimate it
Cost
Would it cost more to keep than to get again?
Did you have to pay for it in the first place?
Raw or processed data?
Do you need to keep the means to process raw data?

6. Store it safely Make multiple copies and keep them in different places
Use open/standard file formats where possible
Organise your files so that you and others can find things when you need them
Don’t keep everything. Be selective about what you keep and what you throw away
In summary:

7. Open Access Teaching Materials
for Digital Preservation Produced by the JISC-funded PrePARe project (2012)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

8. Open Access Teaching Materials
for Digital Preservation Produced for the JISC-funded PrePARe project (2012)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-- ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.