Data Object

Activity Overview

For this assignment, you will select a data object (review definition of data object in this week’s slides) and conduct a detailed analysis of its background, development, and usage. Your goal is to explore and articulate the “layers of complexity” required to make the object accessible and understandable, both for humans and machines.

You will present your findings to the class next week during a 3-5 minute lightning talk, addressing this question: “In 40 years, when this data object has become obsolete, what will a future archivist need to extract and preserve the information it contains?”

By “layers of complexity,” consider the components that support access to the object, such as:

  • File formats: What is the data object’s file format, and how does it influence usability and preservation?
  • Software: What tools or programs are needed to open or interact with the object?
  • Hardware: Are specific devices or environments required for its use or emulation?
  • Knowledge: What specialized expertise or context would a future archivist need to interpret and preserve its contents?

Steps

  1. Choose a data object
    Examples of a data object include a 3D model file, an old software application, a video file extracted from an early 2000s flip phone, a video game contained on a series of CDs, a thumb drive containing a copy of your dissertation… really anything in the world that is encoded digitally works for this activity.

  2. Document your findings in Airtable
    Open and complete the Data Object Airtable Form. This will generate a visual “card” in the shared Airtable gallery (please note, this will be visible to both me, and the rest of the class on the day we present). Use this card to summarize key details about your chosen data object.

  3. Submit your activity summary to Brightspace Since the majority of your activity work will be in Airtable, please just submit the URL to your Airtable gallery card (to get the URL, simply click on the card and copy/paste the URL that appears in the browser bars) to the Assignments section of Brightspace.

  4. Prepare to share for our next class
    Be ready to deliver a brief 3-5 minute overview of your data object, using your Airtable card as your “slide”. In your overview, address the following:

    • In 40 years, do you think this object will still be more or less accessible and understandable in the same way it is today or when it was originally created and used? Why or why not?
    • What additional context or resources (e.g., documentation, software, emulators) would a future archivist, scholar, or casual user, need or require to make sense of your data object?