Rethinking preservation validation with the preserved object and repository risks ontology (PORRO)

For securing digital longevity, the processes of preservation planning and evaluation are fundamentally implicit and share similar complexity. Means are required for the identification, documentation and association of those properties of data, representation and management mechanisms that in combination lend value, facilitate interaction and influence the preservation process. These properties may be almost limitless in terms of diversity, but are integral to the establishment of classes of risk exposure, and the planning and deployment of appropriate preservation strategies. We present PORRO, an ontology based approach for documenting objects, repositories and risk information, intended to support preservation decision making and evaluation.