E-ARK - European Archival Records and Knowledge Preservation

This use case starts when the end-­user has identified the IPs with the required information and the IP cannot be accessed automatically from the Search tool / Finding Aid. This use case illustrated a process with an 'order basket' similar to a web shop, but this has low priority. Instead, the end-­user can be asked to complete an order form with data about the user, IP and special requests. The most important part of this use case is the output: an xml-­file (order.xml) with all data necessary to process the order.

                     Search in descriptive metadata and data

This use case starts when an order has been submitted from an end-user to the archive. The main purpose is to evaluate the user’s access rights. It is difficult to outline a generic process and to automate it because national legislations and Archives’ policies differ. It is assumed that this process is succeeded by the process “Prepare DIP”, but it can just as well be the other way round; or the processes may occur simultaneously.

The main point is that the xml-file with order data is updated with the user’s authorization to access the ordered IP(s)

                                                   Validate Order

This use case was used to illustrate an example of an end-­user wanting to identify where (and how) they could get information about archival records. The search can be run by using the Archive’s Finding Aid or an E-ARK-­tool.

It is the local Archive’s policy that determines when a user is required to log in, but it will probably be required from the moment an end-­user wants to search data. The 'order basket' is well known from web-­shops, but it has low priority here. The use case ends when the user has identified desired information objects or an item which can be automatically accessed. No order creation is needed in the latter case.

                                           Issue Order

This use case starts when an order has been submitted from an end-user to the archive, and the main purpose is to check if an appropriate DIP already exists. It is assumed that this process is preceded by the ‘Validate Order’ process, but it can just as well be the other way round; or the processes may occur simultaneously.

The process may be automated to a certain degree. It depends on archival policies, local repositories, the level of access to these, the correctness and level of detail in the end-user’s order, and on the complexity of the ordered DIPs.

                            Check DIP availability and suitability