Towards the Preservation of the Scientific Memory

Abstract

In this paper we consider the requirements for preserving the memory of science.  This is becoming more challenging as data volumes and rates continue to increase.  Further, to capture a full picture of the scientific memory we need to move beyond the bit preservation challenge to consider how to capture research in context, represent the meaning of the data, and how to interpret data in relation to other scientific artefacts distributed in multiple information spaces. We review the progress of scientific research into the digital preservation of science over the last decade, emphasising in particular the research and development programme of STFC. We conclude with a number of observations into the future directions of research and also the practical deployment of policy and infrastructure to effectively preserve the scientific memory.