Welcome to the InterPARES 2 Project

The International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES) 2 Project: Experiential, Interactive, Dynamic Records is an international collaborative project whose major funders are Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI) programme, and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the National Science Foundation of the United States (see Funding for other sources of funding).

The project aims to develop and articulate the concepts, principles, criteria and methods that can ensure the creation and maintenance of accurate and reliable records and the long-term preservation of authentic records in the context of artistic, scientific and government activities that are conducted using experiential, interactive and dynamic computer technology. Scholars in the arts and sciences, archivists, artists, scientists, industry specialists and government representatives from around the world are working together to undertake the challenge presented by the manipulability and incompatibility of digital systems, technological obsolescence and media fragility and to guarantee that society’s digitally recorded memory will be accessible to future generations.

Stakeholders include:

• Individual records creators, who rely on records for continuing use, reference purposes, cultural purposes, to carry out other activities, as evidence of their work or as proof of individual rights;

• Organizations, which rely on accurate, reliable and authentic records to carry out their business, fulfill legal obligations, understand previous activities and ensure continuity;

• Governments, which rely on their records to carry out their mandate, and to be accountable for their actions;

• Archivists and any other professionals, whose primary responsibility is to ensure the permanent and authentic preservation of the records of individuals, organizations and governments necessary for the ongoing protection of rights and culture, and for the perpetuation of individual and institutional memory of activities;

• Researchers of all scientific disciplines, who rely on documentary sources to generate new understanding and create new knowledge;

• The citizenry at large, which relies on records to scrutinize the actions of governments to protect its rights, contribute to public debate, develop knowledge and preserve culture; and

• The information technology sector, which must design information systems responsive to the need for accurate, reliable and authentic digital information, in spite of rapid technological change.