How can we assure the public that a digital record emerging from an archive is identical to that entrusted to it a century ago?
People think of archives as being about the past, but in reality they are about the future. Archives are frequently entrusted with content that cannot be released for decades; so when released, how can we ensure research data served out by a university archive today, is the same data that supported conclusions in a paper published a decade ago? We need a decentralized, open and transparent model for ensuring the provenance and integrity of digital records.
ARCHANGEL is an 18 month project that is exploring the feasibility of using Blockchain to ensure the accessibility and integrity of digital archives. We imagine that archives will be able to hash and register digital signatures of documents into a permissioned Blockchain, eventually maintained collaboratively across many participating archives – even across international borders. Documents can be verified against the original signature at any time, including at release, to ensure the record’s integrity.
You are invited to a demo of an early version of the software. This will be followed by a workshop to discuss the value of blockchains in proving the integrity of digital holdings.
The session will run from 1-5pm on Thursday 8th March and will take place at the University of Surrey's Stag Hill Campus in Guildford.
To book a place or if you have any questions please contact Alex Green: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..