Before donating your archive consult these helpful hints and tips to look after your collection, and to prepare it for transfer to the archive. Selecting suitable file formats File formats can become out of date and no longer supported or used. If the software isn’t available to open the files you can’t view their contents. In order to counter this risk there are some measures you can take to ensure your digital files remain accessible for the foreseeable future. Backing up files It is wise to have a backup copy of your files to protect against loss from accidental deletion, viruses and theft but also to protect against loss from power surges (lightning), flood, fire or loss from hardware or software failure. Our helpful hints and tips will help ensure your files remain accessible. Looking after hardware and physical media Ensure your digital hardware and physical media is cared for by following our simple steps Administering your system Read our helpful guidance on looking after your computer system Protecting your files It’s important that you take measures to protect your data not only from unwanted intrusion via the internet but if your devices are stolen. Our guidelines will help you make your content safe. Intellectual property and privacy Understand the legislative implications of donating your digital archive to the University Naming your files Naming your files appropriately can help a great deal when it comes to searching for them and also for identifying their contents. Our guidelines will help ensure you keep on top of your files. Organising files Organising your files in a methodical and meaningful way to their purpose and use can help locate and understand them in the future. Our guidelines will help ensure your files retain their context and discoverability. This article was published on 2024-08-21
