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Crowdsourcing as a resource in archival institutions : a study of archivists’ views on usefulness and reliability in user generated metadata

Holmquist, Gerda LU (2021) ABMM34 20211
Division of ALM, Digital Cultures and Publishing Studies
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to identify archivists’ attitudes towards crowdsourcing to see how they relate to modern archival theory and science. The study focuses on reliability, functionality and potential in user generated metadata. Crowdsourcing in the archival profession is connected to our increased internet use and the general digitalization of society, but it is also a result of a paradigm shift in archival science. The idea of the neutral archivist ceased to exist with the advent of postmodernism and there is now a widespread understanding that organization, selection and description affect how archival documents are perceived and used. One outcome of postmodern theory and practice is an understanding of the plasticity and change of... (More)
The aim of this thesis is to identify archivists’ attitudes towards crowdsourcing to see how they relate to modern archival theory and science. The study focuses on reliability, functionality and potential in user generated metadata. Crowdsourcing in the archival profession is connected to our increased internet use and the general digitalization of society, but it is also a result of a paradigm shift in archival science. The idea of the neutral archivist ceased to exist with the advent of postmodernism and there is now a widespread understanding that organization, selection and description affect how archival documents are perceived and used. One outcome of postmodern theory and practice is an understanding of the plasticity and change of documents over time. This has led to a greater interest in metadata created by users, as it could help contextualize and strengthen the information value of archival collections.

The introduction of crowdsourcing in archives presents challenges. The influence of the participating user can be seen as a threat to the archival profession and questions regarding reliability and usefulness need to be considered when introducing user generated content and metadata. Seven archivists from five Swedish archival institutions have been interviewed for this thesis. The results show a correspondence between the interviewees responses and contemporary archival science, revealing a consensus in attitudes towards crowdsourcing and a similar approach in the institutions towards user generated metadata. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Holmquist, Gerda LU
supervisor
organization
course
ABMM34 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
crowdsourcing, participatory archives, archives 2.0, user generated metadata, professional authority
language
Swedish
id
9050202
date added to LUP
2021-07-02 08:54:10
date last changed
2021-07-02 08:54:10
@misc{9050202,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this thesis is to identify archivists’ attitudes towards crowdsourcing to see how they relate to modern archival theory and science. The study focuses on reliability, functionality and potential in user generated metadata. Crowdsourcing in the archival profession is connected to our increased internet use and the general digitalization of society, but it is also a result of a paradigm shift in archival science. The idea of the neutral archivist ceased to exist with the advent of postmodernism and there is now a widespread understanding that organization, selection and description affect how archival documents are perceived and used. One outcome of postmodern theory and practice is an understanding of the plasticity and change of documents over time. This has led to a greater interest in metadata created by users, as it could help contextualize and strengthen the information value of archival collections. 

The introduction of crowdsourcing in archives presents challenges. The influence of the participating user can be seen as a threat to the archival profession and questions regarding reliability and usefulness need to be considered when introducing user generated content and metadata. Seven archivists from five Swedish archival institutions have been interviewed for this thesis. The results show a correspondence between the interviewees responses and contemporary archival science, revealing a consensus in attitudes towards crowdsourcing and a similar approach in the institutions towards user generated metadata.}},
  author       = {{Holmquist, Gerda}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Crowdsourcing as a resource in archival institutions : a study of archivists’ views on usefulness and reliability in user generated metadata}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}