Digital Archives Research Articles

From Arab-Israeli Conflict to Arab-Israeli Integration: A New Curriculum for Understanding the Contemporary Middle East

ABSTRACT This proposition paper introduces a novel curriculum designed to explore the trends of normalization and integration transforming the Middle East. The curriculum includes a comprehensive textbook and an accessible digital archive for scholars, students, and individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of this subject. The study investigates how academic politicization, biased content, and limited accessibility have contributed to a significant gap in comprehending Israel’s integration in the Middle East, particularly within US Middle East Studies. Our methodology involves a comparative analysis of the academic approaches of the Edward Said and Bernard Lewis “camps,” representing contrasting perspectives within US academia. Additionally, we assess the divergence between academic and state-led approaches to Middle Eastern integration in the United States. By identifying and analyzing six critical factors – impact on the field of Middle East Studies, impact on academic freedom, impact on religious tolerance, impact on regional stability, fresh research on the US Peace to Prosperity Plan and Arab Peace Initiative, and Israeli-Palestinian peace – this research underscores the necessity for the proposed curriculum and its resources. This curriculum aims to bridge the existing knowledge gap and provide a more balanced and comprehensive understanding of Middle Eastern dynamics.

DAMPAK PENERAPAN DIGITALISASI ARSIP DI DESA CIBOGO KEC.CIBOGO, KAB.SUBANG TERHADAP KEGIATAN PELAYANAN MASYARAKAT

The ever-increasing development of digitalization has made village governments begin to apply it in the process of providing services to the community and in the process helps facilitate the work carried out by employees, thereby making the service process fast and easy. Digital archives are used to simplify the process of searching for archives that have been created and reduce physical archives that require space for storage. By using observation and interview research methods as well as system development methods using waterfall, the results obtained from this research are that the digital archive system can run well and can be used by users. If a digital archive system is compared with conventional archives, the result is that digital archives can improve service quality, making it easier for employees to manage archives. Digital archives can reduce paper use by 50 percent, thereby reducing environmental impacts caused by paper use, such as cutting down trees and pollution from the use of chemicals

Researching Informational Technologies of Trust: From Blockchain to Paradata and Digital Archives

ABSTRACTInformation science research has a long‐time interest in diverse informational means of codifying, communicating and maintaining trust as an antecedent and outcome of information, and a central constituent of information practices. While the landscape of the gatekeepers and guarantors of access to trustworthy information for a long time remained relatively stable, since the turn of the millennium, it has evolved rapidly with several new and repurposed social and digital technologies developed and repurposed for mediating and preserving trust. The purpose of this panel is to engage in exploring from theoretical, practical and empirical perspectives such technologies across the information field. The panelists present research conceptualizing, documenting, developing and describing informational technologies of mediating and preserving trust specifically addressing: 1) what different approaches to mediating and maintaining trust exist and can be identified in information science and technology research and practice; 2) how different information technologies of trust influence the understanding and conceptualisations of trust and trustworthy information; and 3) what novel insights from the current state‐of‐the‐art research can be drawn for helping practitioners to empower and put people first when interacting with informational technologies of trust in different areas of the information field, including knowledge organisation and information behaviour and practices, records management, digital preservation, and and development of information systems and services.

Digital Mini-Archives: Social Media Users as Curators of an Architectural Utopia

This paper explores the importance and meaning of a new concept of architectural archives – digital mini-archives in the form of social media profiles (Instagram profiles), whether they are public or private. The paper's interpretation of digital architectural archives is based on Jacques Derrida's interpretation of archives. The aim is to analyze the relationship between archivists and users in the context of social media platforms, and the structure and content of digital mini-archives. I tried to select examples of different Instagram profiles whose content (photos, videos, and quotes) relates to architectural history and architectural design presented in an innovative manner. The hypothesis emphasizes a curating role of social media users as interpreters of architectural history references and their (new) meanings, as well as curators of the future of architecture. Also, the concept of architectural utopia concerns Nathaniel Coleman's theory of utopia in architecture and its contemporary interpretations. There is a strong bond between architectural utopia and digital mini-archives which enable architecture's utopian potential because of their flexibility, openness to change, and transformability. Thus, experimental projects with utopian potential are created based on digital mini-archives. However, do these digital mini-archives contribute by deciding which (part of) architectural history ought to be forgotten or remembered in collective memory and translated to another temporal context through experimental architectural design?

Tracing the Contours of Archival Silences: A Case Study of Critical Collection Building on the Rock Springs Massacre

ABSTRACTArchives can reinforce silences of marginalized communities, further erasing their stories and voices. This study aims to understand the contours of archival silences, focusing on experiences of Chinese people in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We are building a digital archival collection that centers Chinese peoples' voices around the Rock Springs Massacre of 1885, an incident of racial violence that killed at least 28 Chinese people and displaced hundreds more. As we selected items, we wrote structured reflections to critically examine each item's content, source, presentation, arrangement and description in their original context, as well as any absences and silences that we encountered in the search and assessment process. Based on a praxis of radical empathy, ethics of care, and slow archives, we engaged with our positionalities, past experiences, professional training in Library and Information Sciences (LIS), and affective responses throughout the research process to reflect on how they shape our decisions and hesitations in item selection and contextualization. Three main themes emerged from a preliminary thematic analysis of our reflections: complexity of archival silences and silencing, challenges of inclusive representation, and problematizing and going beyond primary sources.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Competencies for the Archival Professions

ABSTRACTThis article presents qualitative research aimed at deriving key competencies for archival students and professionals to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to support the ongoing availability and accessibility of trustworthy public records. Methodology and findings are presented. Our primary source of data were interviews conducted between January and July 2023 with 10 archivists, record managers, and digital archives researchers from the UK, Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand. All our interviewees had practical experience applying AI and ML to the processing of records in archives or record management offices. Findings from the qualitative data analysis from the interviews are presented and organized in three areas of competencies: knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

The Transformative Role of Digital Tools in Comic Book Preservation

Traditionally viewed as static repositories, archives are now seen as dynamic entities capable of continuous reconfiguration and reinterpretation. This study examines how digital practices in comic book archiving maintain historical and emotional integrity, while making these artefacts relevant to contemporary audiences. This paper explores the theories of Wolfgang Ernst, Michel Foucault, Lev Manovich, and others in order to explain digital archiving as a dynamic and interpretive act that shapes historical narratives and cultural memory. Digital restoration of comic books focuses on preserving the original aesthetic and historical context, while recoloring revitalizes visual elements to enhance appeal. Reimagining involves comprehensive reinterpretation and aligns with new media theories in order to offer fresh perspectives on historical narratives. The discussion shows how these practices democratize access to cultural heritage, transforming archives into active sites of cultural engagement and potentiality. By balancing technical precision and interpretive insight, digital artists and archivists aim at ensuring that comic books remain vibrant and meaningful cultural treasures for future generations.

Computationally efficient deep learning models for diabetic retinopathy detection: a systematic literature review

Diabetic retinopathy, often resulting from conditions like diabetes and hypertension, is a leading cause of blindness globally. With diabetes affecting millions worldwide and anticipated to rise significantly, early detection becomes paramount. The survey scrutinizes existing literature, revealing a noticeable absence of consideration for computational complexity aspects in deep learning models. Notably, most researchers concentrate on employing deep learning models, and there is a lack of comprehensive surveys on the role of vision transformers in enhancing the efficiency of these models for DR detection. This study stands out by presenting a systematic review, exclusively considering 84 papers published in reputable academic journals to ensure a focus on mature research. The distinctive feature of this Systematic Literature Review (SLR) lies in its thorough investigation of computationally efficient approaches and models for DR detection. It sheds light on the incorporation of vision transformers into deep learning models, highlighting their significant contribution to improving accuracy. Moreover, the research outlines clear objectives related to the identified problem, giving rise to specific research questions. Following an assessment of relevant literature, data is extracted from digital archives. Additionally, in light of the results obtained from this SLR, a taxonomy for the detection of diabetic retinopathy has been presented. The study also highlights key research challenges and proposes potential avenues for further investigation in the field of detecting diabetic retinopathy.

Strategies for crowdsourcing hearing health information: a comparative study of educational programs and volunteer-based campaigns on Wikimedia

BackgroundSeveral health institutions developed strategies to improve health content on Wikimedia platforms given their unparalleled reach. The objective of this study was to compare an online volunteer-based Wikimedia outreach campaign with university course Wikipedia assignments (both focused on improving hearing health content in Wikimedia’s public digital knowledge archives), in terms of the reach of the contributions and the extent of the participants’ input. A secondary objective was to examine the feasibility and the implementation of the different strategies.MethodsThe research team partnered for the (1) coordination of improvements in hearing and healthcare content through educational programs using Wikimedia platforms, (2) participation in the global campaign Wiki4WorldHearingDay2023 and (3) evaluation of the proposed strategies. Metrics used in the comparison of the two strategies included the number of articles edited, number of views of the edited articles (as reach) and the extent of edits, captured as the number of words. The feasibility evaluation included assessing recruitment success and the implementation of the proposed plan among faculty, students from various university programs, and volunteers representing different constituencies.ResultsThe effort increased the availability of quality plain language information on hearing conditions and hearing care. Both strategies demonstrated to be feasible by their success in recruiting participants who contributed to the effort and by measurable outputs as edits. The contribution of content to Wikimedia platforms as part of education activities provided a more robust result. Wiki4WorldHearingDay2023 145 participants (78 from educational programs) contributed 167,000 words, 258 + references and 140 images to 322 Wikipedia articles (283 existing and 39 new ones), which were viewed 16.5 million times. Contributions occurred in six languages. Edits in Portuguese, mainly by those involved in educational programs, led the number of articles (226 or 70.2%) that were expanded or created during the 5-month tracking period.ConclusionsThe elements that contributed to the success of the studied strategies include an impact topic, coordination with educational programs, international multidisciplinary collaborations, the dissemination of the initiative in several platforms, connection with a robust local Wikimedia affiliate, and the use of a technical infrastructure that provides metrics and coordination mechanisms.Graphical abstract

설화의 국가무형유산 종목 지정을 위한 제언

As Korea joined the “UNESCO Convention” in 2005, Korea implemented the “Intangible Cultural Property Act” in 2016. As a result, a field of “Ra(라). Oral Tradition and Expression”, was newly established, making it possible to designate a national cultural heritage item for folktales. Nevertheless, until August 2024, not a single event has been realized in the designation of national intangible heritage of folktales. This is due to the view that since the 1980s, the traditional Iyagipan(이야 기판) has disappeared, and the transmission of oral stories has also been cut off. However, this recognition is a misunderstanding caused by denying that the current transmission of folktales continues actively through the “Beautiful Story Grandma” project and numerous old story telling channels on YouTube etc. Another position against the designation of folktales as national intangible heritage is the opinion that Gureongdeongdeongsinseonbi(구 렁덩덩신선비), Kongji Patzzi(콩쥐팥쥐) are folktales with global universality and lack uniqueness, and can lead to conflict with other countries. However, the value of folktales can be found in various realization patterns such as national identity and cultural uniqueness. Therefore, the designation of a national intangible heritage item of folktales is an important task to protect our identity and uniqueness. Finally, I would like to suggest some opinions to revitalize the designation of folktales as national intangible heritage items. It is urgent to clarify the value of intangible heritage of the current transmission of folktales and to redefine the definition, category, and classification system of the “Ra(라)” field. In addition, systematic policy establishment and long-term research projects should be promoted, and the discovery of local intangible heritage should be actively supported. Aside from that, the construction of a digital archive of folktales should protect and promote the current transmission of folktales.

Ingesting digital archives into long-term storage system through free open-source software in South Africa

Purpose In South Africa, public institutions face challenges in transitioning their digital records to trusted digital repositories due to a deficiency in skills, infrastructure and systems. Free and open-source software (FOSS) presents a viable solution for facilitating the transfer of digital archives for permanent preservation. Despite the existence of FOSS policy in South Africa, the public sector has yet to fully use it to engage in the development and implementation of products for records management and archive preservation using open-source software. This study aims to explore the ingestion of digital archives into an approved long-term storage system through FOSS in South Africa with the view of developing a framework. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative research approach to collect data through interviews with purposively selected participants (records managers, archivists and IT officials) from national government departments that have implemented records management systems for digital curation of archives, as well as the National Archives and Records Services of South Africa (NARSSA), which regulates archives and records management, and the State Information Technology Agency, which regulates information technology in government. Findings The findings of the study suggest that the systematic transfer of digital materials from public entities to NARSSA, as required by statute, has not taken place. Research limitations/implications The study specifically targeted national government departments that have implemented digital archives and records management systems. Consequently, perspectives from departments that have not implemented these solutions were excluded. Originality/value A framework is proposed for the transfer of digital archives, using interoperable FOSS, from government agencies responsible for records management to NARSSA for archival preservation. This framework, it is hoped, will facilitate infrastructure and skills development in the management of records and preservation of archives through open platforms.

Literature as an Entangled World

The editorial discusses the volume’s assumptions and goals by briefly characterizing the covered issues (digital archive, liberature, literary reading of history, literary entanglement, relationships between literature, film, the theater, and video games) conceptualized in various research perspectives. The problem of the role of applying operational notions, such as re-enactment, remixability, indeterminacy, possibility, potentiality, virtuality, etc., which are used in attempts at creating a new onto-epistemology, are also considered. Therefore, literature is a constant performative re-enactment of the process of making the entangled world present. In this process, literature constantly reestabishes the world of different possibilities of existing.

Pishu Tebe Digital Archive

The paper examines the contribution of the Pishu Tebe project to the digitization of historical postcards. Pishu Tebe contains 45000 marked-up postcards and is thus one of the largest projects involved in postcard digitization. The principal innovation proposed and successfully implemented by Pishu Tebe is a multidimensional approach to digital preservation of postcards as cultural entities. In contrast to other initiatives, Pishu Tebe builds a digital archive opening the way for analyzing all kinds of postcard-related data: visual, textual, chronological, geographical and personal (sender/recipient’s names). The paper starts with a discussion of the place of Pishu Tebe in contemporary postcards studies, its conceptual methodology and IT background. It describes then the key phases of the digitization process and identifies major challenges faced by a voluntary digitization project. In the end, the paper presents quantitative and qualitative results of Pishu Tebe and outlines further plans.

The acoustemology of Hong Kong in protest: a sonic understanding of the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to construct a sonic understanding of the recent past of Hong Kong in protest. By utilizing and extending Steven Feld’s framework of acoustemology, I examine the sonic events during protests and identify sounds in the cultural system understood among the inhabitants. I conducted a digital archival search of newspaper articles and created a dataset of the events sounding ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ during the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement. I explore three aspects: the participants, the space where the protest activities took place, and the sound generated and/or sounded in the activities. By demonstrating the interrelationality of them, I argue that sounds are able to reveal and (re-)claim spaces, establish a relationship between humans and space, bring an understanding of Hong Kong, and construct ‘Hong Kong,’ via collective sounding in protests and daily activities across time. This is the acoustemology of Hong Kong in protest.

Digital Architectural Archives – Aesthetic Reading

My aim in this paper is to examine the impact of digital technology on the perception and practice of architecture. Online activities leave discernible traces, challenging the traditional ontological view of the subject’s independence from the material world. I will offer an exploration of the Internet’s role as the primary communication medium transforms architectural practice, emphasizing digital archives and distribution. Platforms like Pinterest, ArchDaily, and Instagram have transformed how architectural practices are shared and consumed, cultivating a new culture of multimodal communication. Within this context, I will discuss how digital technologies have profoundly altered perceptions of materiality, space, and information. I will explore how architects and artists now operate within an interconnected network of social, economic, and technological forces, moving away from traditional media to embrace digital fragmentation. This shift impacts how architectural objects are perceived, from complete forms to fragmented digital representations that are accessible to a global audience.

Digital is Not the Alternative: Dilemma and Preserving Films in India

Abstract Films deteriorate over time and archival methods are still being developed to prevent this. Digital technology enables the conversion of films, but there are various issues with digital approaches that present Indian archivists with the dilemma of choosing the appropriate one to film preservation. It is perceived that digital technology is inferior to film and, thus, archivists in India are struggling to preserve their film heritage for future generations. Film archivists, curators and restorers in India were interviewed as part of this study, with a thematic analysis conducted to understand the perceived insufficiency of digital preservation. Film archivists dislike digital technology but recognise its benefits, however, digital film preservation faces issues of originality, obsolescence, cost, resolution and legal aspects. Archivists suggested that digital archiving is not an alternative to film archiving but rather a complement and the study finds that the problems in digital approaches can be minimised through measures such as diligence, technological advancement, multiple copies and raising awareness which can prolong the film artefact in a digital archive. Both methods must work together to preserve the unpreservable.

Review: Unsettling Archival Research: Engaging Critical, Communal, and Digital Archives

Review: Unsettling Archival Research: Engaging Critical, Communal, and Digital Archives

Shining a Light on the Specimen Room: Enhancing Global Research on Bird Eggs through Standardized Digital Archives

Bird egg collections in natural history museums are valuable resources for studies such as how birds’ eggs may evolve under different environmental conditions, providing information that is critical in our changing world and of great interest to scientists. However, the millions of bird egg specimens, many collected over 100 years ago, are often not prioritized in digitized archives. To assess the current status of digitized egg specimens, we examined data available on open-source platforms such as iDigBio, based on the Marini et al. (2020) review of egg collections. Millions of bird egg specimens are preserved in museums worldwide, but only about 21% have been digitally cataloged and made accessible on global platforms, mostly from Western countries. While the technology used for extracting features from digital objects has greatly advanced for studying the size, color and spottiness of eggs (e.g., SpotEgg), the digitized specimens may not be formatted to meet the needs for research, thereby limiting their application. For example, among eight museums with digitized collections, images from six include a scale, but only the Yale Peabody Museum also incorporates a color chart with standardized gray patches for calibration (e.g., Calibrite Color Checker). Furthermore, coordinates obtained through georeferencing are essential for studying environmental influences on egg traits. Yet, fewer than half of the specimens (49%) have been georeferenced. Here we demonstrate how properly digitized specimens—using a dark background, adding a scale, and incorporating a standard color chart in the photo—can be utilized to study the evolution of egg color in birds. We urge the adoption of a standard digitization protocol for bird egg collections, the enhancement of georeferencing for the specimens, and the integration of local databases into global platforms to increase accessibility for the scientific community. These procedures should also be implemented at the early stage of the digitization process to maximize the value of digitized specimens.

Historical review of inclusive educational theories through digital archives

Introduction: This study is framed in the field of social inclusion of people with disabilities, following the guidelines of the United Nations Convention (2006) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. The main objective is to provide a historical overview of inclusive theories to undestand their social impact and their application in the educational field. Methodology: The methodology is qualitative and is approached from a hermeneutic-interpretative perspective, based on the analysis of bibliographic and documentary sources. Results: Among the results obtained, the sources found and the organisations that advocate for the social model of functional diversity stand out. However, for its actual implementation, more support resources are required in the educational sphere. Discussions: The digitization of archival materials demonstrates that knowledge becomes accessible when adapted to an open publication format, which can be accessed anywhere. Conclusions: The creation of an open-access learning resource repository is another inclusive measure proposed, to share adapted materials. Following the principles of the SDGs, a successful sustainable development program is achieved by creating partnerships with civil society and promoting initiatives that reduce inequalities.

Ukrainian Economy in the Era of Digital Branding: Risks and Opportunities

In the global digital economy, this study examines how digital branding affects the competitiveness and market growth of Ukrainian businesses. The study uses a meta-analysis of 50 quantitative studies to determine the effectiveness of digital branding strategies. It focuses on key areas including data analytics, personalized marketing, and reaching a global market. A thorough search strategy was used to find relevant studies that had been published in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and other academic works. The digital archives of the Ukrainian National Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were some of the databases that were searched. The keywords that were searched for included "digital branding," "Ukraine," "online consumer behaviour," "data privacy in digital marketing," "digital marketing strategies," "branding challenges in emerging markets," and others that were similar. To ensure the reliability and validity of these findings, a rigorous grading methodology was employed. Studies were assessed based on their sample size, research design, and the robustness of their statistical analyses. The grading process allowed for the categorization of studies into different quality tiers, ensuring that the meta-analysis drew primarily from high-quality sources. This approach strengthens the confidence in the effect sizes reported. Digital branding makes a big difference in the market and in getting people to interact with a brand. For example, targeted marketing through data analytics has an overall effect size of 0.56, and personalized digital experiences have an effect size of 0.60. However, the study also finds numerous problems, especially when it comes to data security. An effect size of 0.51 shows that problems related to privacy are concerning, and an effect size of 0.46 demonstrates a lack of trust in companies. These results show that Ukrainian businesses need to take strong steps to protect customer data and follow clear business practices. The study found that digital branding can help Ukraine's economy grow, but the pros and cons must be carefully weighed against the need for proactive risk management. This study has a lot to teach businesses and policymakers who want to make their digital branding strategies better for long-term economic growth.