Secondary adoption of technology standards: The case of PREMIS

Abstract

While archival scholars have identified some of the most important steps for deciding to use and implement metadata standards in archives, very little systematic empirical investigation within the archival science literature regards either how implementation processes actually unfold or the factors affecting implementation. This article analyzes the organizational factors and processes that come into play during implementation of metadata standards, using PREservation metadata: implementation strategies (PREMIS) as an exemplar. Adapting a theoretical framework for secondary adoption of technologies from Gallivan (Database Adv Inf Syst 32(3):51, 2001), the authors apply their model to the PREMIS technology standard and investigate PREMIS implementation by projects/programs on the Library of Congress PREMIS Implementation Registry. Using data from a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews, the authors develop a model for the secondary adoption of PREMIS and outline implications for the secondary adoption of technology standards based on the results of this study.

The emergence of digital reformatting in the history of preservation knowledge: 1823–2015

“…The trend of standardization can have negative impacts on smaller institutions that are often excluded from the standardization process. The adoption of preservation standards can disrupt existing organizational practices (Donaldson and Conway, 2010; Donaldson and Yakel, 2013) and standards are used to reduce diversity of practices (Lampland and Star, 2009) and produce sameness and control over space and time (Timmermans and Epstein, 2010). Standardization of preservation knowledge and practices, without proper consideration, can thus negatively impact a diversity of organizations, potentially limiting their access to funding and prestige, and potentially enacting symbolic violence upon the users of collections (Bettivia, 2016).…”

“…Similar to other cultural The emergence of digital reformatting products of human activity, preservation knowledge emerges within particular cultural and historical contexts. Existing research in information studies has touched upon the cultural and historical dimensions of preservation knowledge, including qualitative studies of the social construction of the values of document formats (Yakel, 2001), ethnographic studies of preservation practices (Gracy, 2001(Gracy, , 2003(Gracy, , 2004(Gracy, , 2007a, surveys of the adoption of archival standards across and within institutions (Donaldson and Conway, 2010;Donaldson and Yakel, 2013), studies of the quality of digital copies (Conway, 2013(Conway, , 2015, and studies on the social aspects of the adoption of digital file formats for the preservation of archival video formats (Jones, 2019;Lischer-Katz, 2014. Taken together, these studies help to articulate a more reflexive approach to preservation technologies and practices that problematizes how preservation knowledge becomes institutionalized and accepted as established fact, emphasizing its particular cultural and historical contingencies.…”

“…Dunn (2009) suggests “when standards are used to dictate practice or to grade products, they often replace metis – the unwritten practical know-how that local producers gain over the years” (p. 18). Donaldson and Yakel (2013) and Donaldson and Conway (2010) studied the adoption of the PREMIS metadata standard in archives, and their findings suggest that the adoption of standards may be disruptive to local practices and existing infrastructures. Preservationists may reject standards if they believe that they cannot be integrated into their institutional contexts (Lischer-Katz, 2014).…”

Factors Influencing the Infusion of Information Systems: A Literature Review

“…The infusion stage is the last stage in the IS implementation process. Infusion means that full potential of the innovation's features/functionality has been embedded in a complete and sophisticated manner within an organization's managerial or operational work systems to support a higher level of individuals' work (Pao-Long and Lung, 2002;Cooper and Zmud, 1990;Donaldson and Yakel, 2013;Fadel, 2012;Gallivan, 2001;Jones et al, 2002;Kishore and McLean, 2007;Zmud and Apple, 1992).…”

Considering JPEG2000 for Video Preservation: A Battle for Epistemic Ground

“…Donaldson and Yakel (2013), in their work on the adoption of the metadata standard PREMIS, suggest "standards in archives are ubiquitous. They reflect the most current knowledge about professional practices and increase interoperability, consistency, and the safety and security of collections" (pp.…”