Rethinking language documentation & support

for the 21st century

David Nathan

Endangered Languages Archive

SOAS University of London

rethinking …

archiving preservation update what we hold access management archive model interface & navigation participation functions

documentation media spatial information & sense co-ordination

preservation update

preparation, preservationpreservation, publication

preservation update - text

plain text in Unicode (UTF8) XML, XHTML

files produced by linguistic software (e.g. .eaf files produced by ELAN)

PDF/A, ODT

MS Word

preservation update - audio

wav ogg, XX

MP3

AAC, XX

preservation update - images

TIFF PNG, BMP

JPEG (JPG), GIF

PSD, other formats

preservation update - video

MPEG4/H264/AVCHD, JPEG2000

AVI, MOV

manufacturers’ formats

rethinking what archives hold

metadocumentation images – with captions, metadata academic papers reference & teaching materials, e.g.

learners’ primers cellphone apps

may have widely sourced and well-organised data – valuable to archive!

links & relationships

rethinking archive access management

documentation can be sensitive needs a powerful but flexible access management transparency – ease of understanding use positively – social networking model

access through relationships relationships & sharing produce new

opportunities

User xx has just applied for access to restricted material in the deposit johnston2012auslan. The following message was attached to the application:

"Hello [depositor], xx here. I'm interested in having a look at some of your video deposit, including annotation files. I am working on a project documenting Central Australian Indigenous sign with yy (see http://iltyemiltyem.tumblr.com/). If ok, I'd like to see how you do the annotation - we have worked out a template and annotation protocol, but this needs a lot of refinement. Regards, MC"

Application: from depositor’s friend, re methods

This email is to inform you that user xx's application for access to restricted material in the deposit kunbarlang-389 has just been approved. The depositor included the following note to the user:

"Hi xxI've approved your access to this collection, but you should know that there is an update in the material I've just deposited, with much more information on both music and texts. I'd be happy to give you access to that when it is processed.

Next time I come to London (October or November this year) I'd be happy to meet up if you would like to discuss."

Response: further info and offer to meet

User xx has just applied for access to restricted material in the deposit cappadocian-375. The following message was attached to the application:

"Dear [depositor], I work as a research assistant in Nevsehir University in Cappadocia, Turkey. As you know, Cappadocian language has some relics in this region despite speakers of Cappadocian do not live anymore. In my university, there are few research on this subject with collaboration of Greek friends and local societies … I would like to access to your material … By the way, i would like to interview with you about Cappadocian language for our international journal of art and language. I hope you will have time for our journal . Thank you in advance."

Application: establish credentials and make request

This email is to inform you that user xx's application for access to restricted material in the deposit johnston2012auslan has just been approved. The depositor included the following note to the user:

"I am giving you user access which means you should be able to see the ELAN eaf annotation files for the topics "The boy who cried wolf" and for "The hare and the tortoise. You should also be able to see most other movies except those tagged "1a" "4a" and "5". If you cannot see the ELAN eaf annotations I hope the problem will be fixed soon. I told the ELAR team about this."

Response: approval with details and guide

rethinking the archive model

progressive archiving challenge to whole approach of documentary

linguistics

“classical” archiving

collect resources/data archive them

rethinking the archive interface

driven by providers and users, not technology contextualisation degrees of presentation navigation

rethinking archive participation

users e.g. add bookmarks, negotiate access

depositors e.g. updating and editing content negotiate access monitoring usage

collaborations exchange & share information establish groups community curation

rethinking archive functions

publishing & convergence forums for collaboration exhibition space, “guest” curators

rethinking documentation media

media capture should be more scientific audio recording to capture acoustic events

more fully and accurately video with audio: better co-ordination of

modalities/senses

Anthony Jukes