DHSI Final ProjectMain MenuIntroductionOverviewProject Planning - Before You Get StartedSteps to go through when planning your digital projectProject Planning - Organizing Your StuffHere are steps to help you start your project in a structured wayResource FormatsAn overview of the different resource types used in digital projects and best practices for their preservation and access format recommendationsMethods of PreservationAn overview of three different methods for preservation of items and projectsDocumenting Interactive ProjectsA discussion of the unique challenges when preserving an interactive projectResourcesCollection of online resources related to DH contentAbout the AuthorsInformation about the AuthorsPaula S. Kiser08e1af8563bb12ee9478cd3b99b74b5ce65390fbNouspace Publications | Washington State University Vancouver
Lions at the Stone Bridge of Mount Tiantai
12018-06-14T22:29:25-07:00Paula S. Kiser08e1af8563bb12ee9478cd3b99b74b5ce65390fb306651Soga Shōhaku (Japanese, 1730–1781), 1779, Japanplain2018-06-14T22:29:25-07:00The Metropolitan Museum of ArtPublic DomainPaula S. Kiser08e1af8563bb12ee9478cd3b99b74b5ce65390fb
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12018-06-14T22:25:21-07:00Documenting Interactive Projects7A discussion of the unique challenges when preserving an interactive projectplain2018-06-15T17:25:46-07:00
Not all projects can be saved in a straight forward manner. Saving the individual content files is not enough to save their interactivity in perpetuity so you may need to consider alternative methods to secure the preservation of some aspects of your project.
You should describe the interactivity in as much detail as possible and document the process through another medium such as video. You should describe the content and the context in as much detail as possible. If your project cannot survive in it's initial state, you will want to save as much of the project as you can with the tools available.
Where applicable, consider making a print backup, if possible.
Examples of this type work have been done by: Dr. Dene Grigar, Director of the Electronic Literature Lab at Washington State University Vancouver.
12018-06-14T22:12:29-07:00Methods of Preservation4An overview of three different methods for preservation of items and projectsplain2018-06-15T17:15:46-07:00
Not all approaches to preservation straight forward. You may run into issues when preserving your digital content as it moves beyond the most comment resource types. We suggest that you save your files in open, non-propriety formats to ensure that they can be read into the future. Not all software types continue to be supported year after year. Here are some ways to approach preserving your digital projects should they no longer be able to exist in their current format.
Collection
If your project requires specific hardware to interact with the project, make sure you save several sets of the hardware so they can be used into the future, after that hardware is no longer being created.
Emulation
Some older technology that is no longer supported or running on newer computers can be emulated. This means that they software works within a virtual machine created on the newer computer.
Migration
This process updates files from an older file type to an updated version which may or may not support the functionality your project needs. Migrating files might change your content and in the worst cases, destroy your work. This is why it is important to save back-up copies of your work, just in case. You will want to ask an expert before migrating any files.