A Guide to Archival and Related Standards: OAIS (Open Archival Information Systems Reference Model)

OAIS (Open Archival Information Systems Reference Model - ISO 1472: 2003) is a conceptual framework for building a complete archival repository. The model primarily deals with born-digital, or digitised material, but can also be applied to records in other formats, making it a suitable basis for managing archives with both digital and analogue materials. It does not specify a technical implementation, but provides the framework to make a successful implementation possible. OAIS identifies the responsibilities and interactions of Producers, Consumers and Managers of an archive, while defining the functionality and processes required for both effective long-term preservation, and maintaining access to preserved material. Mandatory responsibilities are identified, while detailed models of archival functions and archival information explain the processes. Standardised vocabulary is used to describe the archival activities. This may differ from the vocabulary usually used by archivists and records managers, but many of the processes it describes are already established in archival practice. The standards should be used in conjunction with its sister standard PAIMAS (ISO 20652: Producer-Archive Interface - Methodology Abstract Standard which looks at the pre-ingest processes required for successful repository management (see ARC November 2009)