Personal Digital Preservation Case Plan
Project Overview & Core Objective:
This project, which focused on the preservation of a collection of related files, sought to describe the procedures and tactics I would employ in order to archive personal documents that all had to do with femicide.
The Process:
1
Find
2
Select
3
Describe
4
Store
5
Manage
Subject & Why
The set of files that I have decided to use for my personal digital preservation case plan is a multitude of documents I have on femicide. I’m preserving these files and documents because in the future, if by some happenstance I’m finally able to create some massive journal article or paper that can serve as a source of dedication and activism on such a delicate subject, I want to be able to have these references stored all in one place. I also want to be able to see the progress I’ve made and will essentially continue to make as time moves forward. I firmly believe that simplicity and efficiency are quintessential elements for this preservation plan to flow smoothly.
Find
What kind of files and documents are they?
Resources (scholarly journals, articles, social media posts, etc.), papers I’ve written, presentations, and outlines.
Where are these files located?
My computer, hard drive, Google Drive, and third-party file organizer Zotero.
What do I want these files to end up being?
I’m planning for these records to be compiled as a set of resources that people can use in the future in their research. They will also work as informative pieces that can showcase the magnitude of a centuries-old issue that has been so prevalent worldwide since a few years ago.
Select
How many documents?
I chose 23 files that I think are the most referenced. They feature some of my most crucial developed writing and research and their respective outlines. Also included is a presentation with notes I intend to enhance and refine.
The table to the left demonstrates the files' scattered distribution despite their revolving around the same topic.
My Selection Process:
My selection criteria revolve around value and reliability, stemming from some ongoing questions for each of the selected files: ‘How much value can this bring to something bigger?’ ‘How reliable is this document still?’ ‘Does it still hold value, or has it diminished with time?’ I also happen to have a lot of drafts of the same document saved, so to combat that issue, I have concluded that I want to keep the finished products in one specific place as they’ll end up being the primary source of the subject.
Describe
Using descriptive metadata, I would create a naming system that would highlight the main topic of the resource other than femicide to minimize redundancy and organize them through a colored tagging system. Overall, there would also be metadata categories that would cover the file’s name, location on the external hard drive, personal computer, and Google Drive, followed by the date of last modification and, if it’s a resource, the date that it was published, along with the file format and lastly a small synopsis of the information that particular file contains.
Store
Google Drive may be better for third-party storage as this data set mainly comprises PDFs and Word docs. Google Drive would allow Word docs to open in a Google Doc, which would immediately store any changes, which is incredibly efficient. Google Drive is accessible on multiple platforms. For example, what if I only have my iPad and not my laptop or hard drive? Google Drive may be accessed there, so I can work on or review my files without my laptop or external hard drive. I think of Google Drive as emergency storage that can be accessed anywhere with Wi-Fi, but I will continue to utilize an external hard drive to save this group of files, as I've already started, so that will be one of my primary sources along with my computer
Manage
Consistently monitoring the files would be the most effective way to manage them. Creating a system where I would go through everything and decipher whether the current files are still worth keeping. Consistently keeping up with these files around every six months to a year would be ideal to ensure that the preserved files still hold the original value of my work. Enabling updates to information and eliminating outdated information, particularly concerning the resources utilized, is essential to ensure that my research incorporates current and relevant information. This approach will provide a coherent chronological flow, enabling the reader to understand the current state of the issue better.
To further regulate and manage these files, valuable questions to also keep in mind are: Do I still need them? Can I still access them? Is the storage device still stable and effective? Do I have new files to add?
Concluding Thoughts
This plan should be effective in preserving this specific set of files regarding femicide in the long run. I hope to implement this plan and that it works out smoothly for my needs and for this future project. Overall, this personal digital preservation plan has been curated to specific needs. I also feel that it is general enough to be used for a plethora of files, not just those specified in this case.