CFP: Appraisal in the Digital World

In response to several emailed requests, Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei and DELOS NoE are pleased to announce that they have agreed to extend the deadline for paper, panel, and poster submissions for Appraisal in the Digital World Conference to 15 September 2007. Please see below for further details.

Appraisal in the Digital World
CALL FOR PAPERS, PANELS AND POSTERS

Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei and DELOS NoE Conference

Appraisal in the Digital World
Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei (Rome, Italy)
15-16 November 2007
http://www.dpc.delos.info/rethinking_appraisal

The Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei and Digital Preservation Cluster of the DELOS Network of Excellence in association with DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) and InterPARES announce a call for paper proposals for a Conference on Appraisal in the Digital World.

Appraisal was born as an archival function in the mid-1940s out of necessity. The overwhelming amount of records produced during the II World War required drastic decisions on what to keep for permanent preservation and what to destroy and archival writers even redefined the concept of archives on the basis of appraisal. In the beginning, traditional archival schools  resisted the notion of archival appraisal as one undermining the impartiality of archives, justifying such an endeavour only when carried out by the records creator for its purposes.

Over the following decades, however, appreciation of the benefits of planned selection and disposition of records carried out throughout their life-cycle became increasingly common.

In the last two decades of the 20th century, the discussion on appraisal occupied the largest space in archival literature, overshadowing traditional core topics of archival science, such as description.  Appraisal was defined as "the fine art of destruction," the art of shaping the cultural heritage of the future, documentation strategy, and even a scientific endeavour. In   fact, by the end of the century, it was regarded not only as what defines an archives, but what defines the archival profession and even, paradoxically, what will allow the archives of the future to exist at all.

The latter development was determined by the increasing use of digital technology to create records. Although the original motivation for conducting appraisal at all-the lack of space and resources for keeping everything-appeared to be no longer relevant in the digital world (at least as it regards storage costs), most commentators now agree that if the records to be kept permanently were not identified at the moment of creation, technological fragility and obsolescence would make all records inaccessible and, with them, the archives of the future.

Thus, towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century, appraisal is alive and well, not just as an archival function, but as a function vital to the existence of records, regardless of when, where, and by whom it is carried out. Has this new motivation for appraisal changed its nature? Has it enhanced its influence on societal memory and affairs? Has it affected
its methodology? Or has it just impacted its locus and time, and the responsibilities for it?

This conference provides an opportunity for information professionals, archivists, records managers, record creators, managers, students, and researchers from the sciences, the arts, government and business to rethink appraisal in the context of the changes brought about by digital technology and the globalization of our society, to network with colleagues, learn
about current developments and research, discuss their own experiences, and identify risks and challenges that are likely to emerge from each possible choice. Presentations, panel discussions, and poster sessions will offer participants cross-disciplinary and international perspectives on appraisal.

This conference will be held at the Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei in Rome, Italy on 15-16 November 2007. The event is co-sponsored by the Accademia
Nazionale Dei Lincei, DELOS Digital Preservation Cluster, DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE), and InterPARES.

TOPICS
Suggested topics include, but need not be limited to:

• Theory of appraisal
• History of Appraisal
• Methods of appraisal
• Integrated appraisal of paper and digital material
• Timing of appraisal
• Ethics and Appraisal Appraisal and accountability
• Appraisal and social understanding
• Appraisal as a political instrument National or institutional appraisal practices
• Research on appraisal Appraisal as a management tool
• Appraisal and the record life-cycle
• Appraisal in the record continuum
• Appraisal as a documentation strategy
• Appraisal of scientific records
• Appraisal of the records of artistic activities A
• ppraisal and e-government
• Appraisal and business
• Risk-benefits of appraisal
• Assessing appraisal
• Thedamages created by appraisals
• The advantages of appraisals
• Re-appraisal orphased appraisal?
• The user's view of appraisal
• Why appraisal?
• When should appraisal happen?
• When should re-appraisal happen?
• Appraisal where?
• Appraisal by whom?
• How do users view appraisal?

CALL FOR PAPERS, POSTERS, and PANELS
In addition to the keynote address, proposals are being solicited for individual presentations, complete panels, and posters. We encourage
submissions from professionals, academics, graduate students, and business analysts and managers.

PAPER PROPOSALS
Paper proposals in .pdf, .doc, or .odt may be uploaded at http://www.dpc.delos.info/rethinking_appraisal/submissions. Submissions must be made no later than 15 September 2007 and should include the following information.

* On Page One Only:
** PAPER
** Title of paper
** Author name(s)
** Organizational affiliation for each author
** Email address of each author
** Address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address of Primary Contact
** Short biographical sketch of each author
* On Page Two and subsequent pages
** 400 to 1000 word abstract of the proposed paper [no personal details should appear on these pages].

Authors will receive notification as to whether their proposal has been  accepted on 1 September 2007. Submissions will be reviewed on the basis of relevance, originality, significance, soundness, and clarity.

The complete papers will be reviewed for publication in the Conference proceedings, which will be printed after the Conference. Guidelines for the format of the submission of the full papers can be found on the Conference website.

PANEL PROPOSALS
We intend to have two Panel sessions and welcome proposals for these.  Panel proposals should address controversial issues and be debate-oriented rather than a series of short presentations. The proposal should include:
* the topic title,
* a statement about the importance and relevance of the panel (500 words maximum),
* a description of the potential issues of controversy,
* a tentative list of questions that will be posed to the panelists, and
* a list of confirmed participants along with their affiliation and a short biographical sketch.

Panel proposals should be submitted in .pdf, .doc, or .odt using the online form at: www.dpc.delos.info/rethinking_appraisal/submissions

POSTERS
The Conference will also offer the opportunity to researchers and practitioners to present posters outlining late-breaking results, significant work in progress, or research that is best communicated in an interactive or graphical format. Posters provide researchers with an opportunity to obtain direct feedback about their work from a wide range of conference participants. Posters should focus on problems, research questions and methodology, and findings and outcomes, if any. Extended abstracts describing the research will be reviewed for publication in the conference proceedings. Please note that posters describing research that has yet to begin will not be accepted.

Submissions of extended abstracts for posters (500 to a 1000 words) must be in English and follow the same format described above.

The closing date for poster proposals submissions is 15 September 2007, and proposers will be notified of acceptance by 1 October 2007. Posters proposals should be submitted in .pdf, .doc, or .odt format using the online form at: www.dpc.delos.info/rethinking_appraisal/submissions

[Details of the size and shape of the posters for display at the Conference will be available on the www.dpc.delos.info website, in early September.]

IMPORTANT DATES
Paper/Panel Abstract Submission Deadline: 21 August 2007

Notification of aper/Panel Acceptance: 10 September 2007

Poster Abstract Submission eadline 15 September 2007

Notification of Poster Acceptance 1 October 2007

resentation slides: 12 November 2007

Complete papers for the proceedings 15 December 2007

REGISTRATION
Conference registration will open on 1 August 2007 at eww.dpc.delos.info/rethinking_appraisal/registration

QUERIES
Questions should be sent by email to: appraisal.conference@hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

• Prof Luciana Duranti, University of British Columbia & InterPARES
• Prof Tito Orlandi, University of Rome (La Sapienza)
• Prof Maria Guercio, University of Urbino & DELOS NoE
• Prof Seamus Ross, University of Glasgow & DELOS NoE

PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
* Prof Richard J. Cox, University of Pittsburgh
* John Faundeen, Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science, U.S.
Geological Survey
* Elaine Goh, National Archives of Singapore
* Ross Harvey, Charles Sturt University & Research Fellow Digital Curation Centre (UK)
* Hans Hofman, National Archives of the Netherlands
* Shadrack Katuu, Project Officer Nelson Mandela Foundation
* Rosely Rondinelli, Archivist of the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation - Brasil

Joy Davidson
DCC Training Coordinator and ERPANET British Editor
Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute (HATII)
George Service House, 11 University Gardens,
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QJ
Scotland
Tel: +44(0)141 330 8592
Fax: +44(0)141 330 3788
http://www.dcc.ac.uk
http://www.digitalpreservationeurope.eu
british.editor@erpanet.org