Defining digital preservation work: A case study of the development of the reference model for an Open Archival Information System

I report on a multi-method case study of the development of the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System, a standard which describes components and services required to develop and maintain archives in order to support long-term access and understanding of the information in those archives. Development of the OAIS took place within the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, a standards development organization which formal represents space agencies, but the effort reached far beyond the traditional CCSDS interests and stakeholders, becoming a fundamental component of digital archive research and development in various disciplines and sectors. Through document analysis, social network analysis and qualitative analysis of interview data, I explain how and why the OAIS development effort was transformed into a standard of much wider scope, relevant to a diverse set of actors.; The OAIS development process involved substantial enrollment of resources from the environment, including skills and expertise; social ties; documentary artifacts; structures and routines; physical facilities and proximity; and funding streams. Enrollment was based on concerted efforts by actors who searched for relevant literature, framed the process as open, and promoted it at professional events. Acts of participation also helped to enroll resources, contributing to what structuration theory calls the signification and legitimation of the Reference Model, i.e. enactment of what the document means, and why and to whom it is important. Documentary artifacts were most successfully incorporated into the OAIS when they were perceived to support modularity and to be at an appropriate level of abstraction. The content of the Reference Model was subject to stabilization over time, making changes less likely and more limited in scope. A major factor in the success of the OAIS was the timing of its development. Actors within several streams of activity related to digital preservation perceived the need for a high-level model but had not themselves developed one. Several actors also felt they had knowledge from their own recent digital archiving efforts, which could inform development of the OAIS. This study has important implications for research on standardization, and it provides many lessons for those engaged in standards development.