Data Rescue Processing Guide: A Practical Guide to Processing Preservation-Ready Data from Research Data Collections

Abstract

This processing guide was developed for use in combination with rapid data appraisal methodology in order to make valuable data available to users as quickly as possible. Data rescue is the process of identifying, intervening, and revitalizing data-rich materials at risk of loss to produce preservation-ready data. Data-rich materials are any medium, either digital and/or analog, that contain data and/or research findings. Preservation-ready data are the final product of processing, stabilized and with sufficient description for preservation and dissemination. Rapid appraisal differs from traditional appraisal in that it applies a uniform framework to determine the information’s values as quickly as possible, enabling data rescue. This processing guide was written by University of Maryland (UMD) graduate students in the College of Information Studies for use by the National Agricultural Library (NAL) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the NAL-UMD Digital Curation Fellows program.