Acting in the Best Interest of the Other: An Ethics of Care in Digital Curation

Open MIND · 2026-02-17

This study explores how digital repositories approach qualitative research data curation through an ethics of care lens, particularly when handling data containing identifiable participants. Through 44 semi-structured interviews with educational researchers and teacher-educators who produce and reuse video records of practice (VROP), the research examines perceptions of care in repository practices and the relationships between repositories and their designated communities. Our findings indicate that (1) data producers and reusers in education view repositories as sites of care, (2) they view data curation as a form of care, and (3) they expect repositories to act in the best interest of the participants represented in research data, thereby enacting an ethics of care. Interviewees emphasized that repositories must extend beyond technical compliance to embrace ethical commitments that preserve participant dignity throughout the data lifecycle. They sought repositories whose values aligned with their own ethics of care, particularly regarding protection of vulnerable populations. The study identifies care as both a relational process that develops over time and a framework that should inform repository policies from data selection through access decisions. These findings extend current understanding of designated communities beyond consumers of data to include groups whose ethical frameworks should inform repository practices, with implications for qualitative data repositories containing data with identifiable participants.

Acting in the Best Interest of the Other: An Ethics of Care in Digital Curation

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-02-17

This study explores how digital repositories approach qualitative research data curation through an ethics of care lens, particularly when handling data containing identifiable participants. Through 44 semi-structured interviews with educational researchers and teacher-educators who produce and reuse video records of practice (VROP), the research examines perceptions of care in repository practices and the relationships between repositories and their designated communities. Our findings indicate that (1) data producers and reusers in education view repositories as sites of care, (2) they view data curation as a form of care, and (3) they expect repositories to act in the best interest of the participants represented in research data, thereby enacting an ethics of care. Interviewees emphasized that repositories must extend beyond technical compliance to embrace ethical commitments that preserve participant dignity throughout the data lifecycle. They sought repositories whose values aligned with their own ethics of care, particularly regarding protection of vulnerable populations. The study identifies care as both a relational process that develops over time and a framework that should inform repository policies from data selection through access decisions. These findings extend current understanding of designated communities beyond consumers of data to include groups whose ethical frameworks should inform repository practices, with implications for qualitative data repositories containing data with identifiable participants.

Structural assurance inflation: perspectives on the value of trustworthy digital repository certification

Journal of Documentation · 2026-04-28

Purpose This study examines how staff members from CoreTrustSeal-certified repositories characterize the primary value of Trustworthy Digital Repository certification, addressing a gap in empirical research about the value and/or benefits of certification. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with staff members from CoreTrustSeal-certified repositories in 2020. Of the 171 certified organizations contacted, 88 completed responses were analyzed (53.98% response rate). Qualitative data from open-response questions about certification value underwent three-cycle coding analysis using NVivo, with interrater reliability checks conducted for the first two coding rounds. Findings Repository staff identified both internal and external certification benefits. Internal value derives from the certification process itself, including improved accountability, documentation, shared understanding, and risk mitigation. External value stems from having achieved certification, encompassing stakeholder communication, demonstrating trustworthiness, and competitive advantage. Notably, many respondents characterized certification as guaranteeing long-term preservation. Some grounded this guarantee in substantive improvements prompted by certification, while others located it in the credential itself. Both orientations reflect an inflated understanding of the structural assurances certification provides, or assurance inflation. Originality/value This provides the first comprehensive empirical examination of how staff from CoreTrustSeal-certified repositories value certification, identifying internal and external benefits. The study introduces the concept of assurance inflation, revealing how institutional stakeholders may overstate structural assurance guarantees, contributing new theoretical insights to research on trust and structural assurance in digital repositories.

Gallery walk as research method in information science

Information Research an international electronic journal · 2025-03-11 · 1 citations

Introduction. This paper argues that the gallery walks, a pedagogical technique traditionally used in educational settings, is an effective qualitative data collection strategy. Its interactive format stimulates discussion and ensures active participation, making it suitable for qualitative research. Background. Common qualitative methods like interviews, focus groups, and observations have limitations. The gallery walk technique leverages movement and interaction to deepen understanding, making it an effective tool for comprehensive and inclusive educational engagement. Gallery walk as research method. The gallery walk enhances data collection by balancing individual and group insights, encouraging participants to use their expertise and engage in meaningful discussions. This approach captures detailed information from each participant. Case study. We implemented the gallery walk in a study with 14 experts in satellite image analysis. Over two days, participants engaged with six thematic stations, discussing and annotating posters. The discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed, providing a rich dataset of individual and collective insights. Discussion and Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate the gallery walk's utility as a qualitative research method. Its structured yet flexible format enhances participant engagement and data richness. The gallery walk is particularly effective for studies involving expert participants, offering a comprehensive understanding of research topics.

Describing Qualitative Research in <scp>ASIS</scp>&amp;T Publications, 2018–2022

Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology · 2024-10-01 · 1 citations

ABSTRACT The Information Science/LIS research community welcomes research across the methodological spectrum, including qualitative methods featuring human subject research. This poster presents the research design and data collection process for an exploratory study examining qualitative research published as both long and short papers in ASIS&amp;T Annual Meeting proceedings from 2018–2022.

Constructing risk in trustworthy digital repositories

Journal of Documentation · 2024-08-08 · 2 citations

Purpose This article investigates the construction of risk within trustworthy digital repository audits. It contends that risk is a social construct, and social factors influence how stakeholders in digital preservation processes comprehend and react to risk. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a qualitative research design involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the Trustworthy Digital Repository Audit and Certification (TRAC) process, and document analysis of the TRAC checklist and audit reports. I apply an analytic framework based on the Model for the Social Construction of Risk in Digital Preservation to this data. Findings The findings validate the argument that risk in digital preservation is indeed socially constructed and demonstrate that the eight factors in the Model for the Social Construction of Risk in Digital Preservation do indeed influence how stakeholders constructed their understanding of risk. Of the eight factors in the model, communication, expertise, uncertainty and vulnerability were found to be the most influential in the construction of risk during the TRAC audit process. The influence of complexity, organizations political culture, were more limited. Originality/value This article brings new insights to digital preservation by demonstrating the importance of understanding risk as a social construct. I argue that risk identification and/or assessment is only the first step in the long-term preservation of digital information and show that perceptions of risk in digital preservation are shaped by social factors by applying theories of social construction and risk perception to an analysis of the TRAC process.

Are We Practicing What We Preach? Towards Greater Transborder Inclusivity in Information Science Systematic Reviews

Lecture notes in computer science · 2024-01-01

“Lest We Forget”: Bringing Atrocity Home Through Large Photomurals

The Journal of Holocaust Research · 2023-07-09

The ‘Lest We Forget’ exhibition opened on Memorial Day, May 30, 1945, just over a month after the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen and Dachau concentration camps where many of the photos were shot. Twenty-five enlarged atrocity photomurals, ranging up to 12 feet high and 19 feet wide, were hung in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch building’s mechanical annex. Over the course of three and a half weeks, 80,413 people visited the exhibition in St. Louis, Missouri. The exhibition then traveled the US in the summer of 1945, including stops in Boston, Detroit, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The ‘Lest We Forget’ exhibition used the photomural medium to share the atrocities that Americans read about and saw small photographs of in newspapers in a new way. While photomurals were widespread in the decades leading up to the exhibition, photomurals of atrocity photographs were uncommon. Did the scale of the photomurals affect the experience of viewing atrocity images? What did American politicians think of the exhibition and how it could impact public opinion? How did visitors react to the exhibition throughout the US? Were there similar exhibitions abroad? My article deals with these questions by piecing together sources ranging from newspaper articles to exhibition photographs and a government speaker draft. Starting with the exhibition’s visual landscape and an analysis of the photomurals’ scale, this article then turns to the American government and civilian experience, before closing with an analysis of the London exhibition and publication. By sharing large-scale atrocity photomurals in a collective setting, the ‘Lest We Forget’ exhibition evoked new, emotional reactions from visitors.

Audit Team Communication and Risk in Trustworthy Digital Repository Certification

Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology · 2023-10-01 · 1 citations

ABSTRACT This paper aims to investigate the Trustworthy Repositories Audit &amp; Certification (TRAC) process by examining the communication practices and risk communication dynamics among auditors during the audit. Through an in‐depth, qualitative analysis of the audit process and the interactions between auditors, this paper provides valuable insights into the importance of diverse backgrounds, effective communication, and consensus building in the assessment of TRAC checklist requirements. Furthermore, the paper highlights potential areas of improvement within the audit process, addressing concerns related to disagreements, reliance on leadership, and the comprehensiveness of risk identification and communication.

Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Physicality, Inclusivity

Lecture notes in computer science · 2023-01-01 · 4 citations