La valutazione FAIRness di un archivio digitale certificato: tra principi teorici e azioni pratiche

Abstract

The primary aim of this contribution is to provide a case of good practice in the accomplishment of the FAIR Principles, illustrating the methodology and the actions undertaken by the Library System of the University of Padua in order to make trustworthy and FAIR Phaidra (Permanent Hosting, Archiving and Indexing of Digital Resources and Assets), the digital repository for the long-term management and preservation, and online dissemination of digital objects in place since 2010, whose system was created and developed by the University of Vienna.

The compliance of a digital archive with the FAIR principles cannot be separated from the formal and public recognition of its trustworthiness. The reputation of trustworthiness is by definition intrinsic to its mission, which aims to ensure its designated community, now and in the future, a secure, robust and long-term access to the digital resources it manages, while guaranteeing, at the same time, its sustainability and durability, security and preservation of the archived data over time.

Grounded on the process of critical reviewing unfolded for the acquisition of the CoreTrustSeal (CTS) certification, and based on the experience carried out as a pilot and test repository in the context of the European project FAIRsFAIR - Fostering Fair Data Practices in Europe, this paper outlines the main steps and actions needed to demonstrate the trustworthiness of the repository as well as the FAIRness of its data and metadata. Furthermore, the distinctive characterization of Phaidra as a cultural heritage digital repository will be highlighted, defining, on the one hand, the digital cultural heritage object identity, and on the other, what it implies to assess the degree of adherence to the FAIR Principles and the capacity of openness, meant in its broadest sense, of data and metadata.