InSPECT: Framework for the definition of significant properties (first version)

Significant Properties (SPs) have been in the digital preservation literature for a decade or more. There has been widespread agreement on the important role they play, but no consensus on exactly what is significant.Investigating the Significant Properties of Electronic Content over Time (InSPECT) aimed to expand and articulate the concept of ‘significant properties’, determine sets of significant properties for a specified group of digital object types, evaluate methods for measuring these properties for a sample of relevant representation formats, investigate and test the mapping and comparison of these properties between different representation formats, and identify any issues requiring further research.The first version of the assessment framework used a top-down approach to analysing an Information Object. Once the evaluator has reached the property-level, they would work with one or more stakeholders in the Designated Community to analyse the acceptable boundaries necessary to achieve their stated objectives. The report has been superseded by a later version of the Framework Report, but is provided for reference.