These local guidelines were created in November 2024 by Charlotte Lellman, Amber LaFountain, and Rebecca Thayer. They are based on the Harvard-wide guidance developed by the Born-Digital Content Description Task Force (BDCDTF), which was chartered by the Shared Descriptive Practices Working Group in September 2021. Previous Center documentation for describing born-digital records is available on SharePoint (CHoM login required).

Definitions 

For the purposes of processing and description, born-digital files are defined as manuscript or archival records that the Center accessioned in born-digital form, whether through a network transfer, a web crawl, or on a physical carrier such as a floppy disk or flash drive. 

Records that came to the Center in physical form (papers, objects, notebooks, photographs, etc.) but were subsequently digitized or digitally photographed are not considered born-digital. These are considered digital surrogates.  

“Born-digital files” is Harvard’s preferred umbrella term. Note that some of the examples illustrating arrangement scenarios describe born-digital material using terms that are no longer recommended.  

Arranging Born-Digital Records  

Just as it is with traditional paper-based collections, original order is an important principle of archival arrangement for entirely born-digital or hybrid collections. Often, but not always, maintaining this order is helpful for users to understand the function and context of the records.  

There are three frequently used options for the intellectual arrangement of born-digital records in hybrid collections:  

1. Create a separate format-based series for born-digital records. A separate series for born-digital records is appropriate when the creator has maintained their born-digital records in a way that is intellectually separate from the paper-based records. This format-based series approach may also be appropriate when the digital records’ volume or disorganization would make intellectual integration prohibitively labor-intensive or too difficult to do with certainty.  

2. Create two separate groupings for born-digital records and their paper-based counterparts at the same level of hierarchy. This is appropriate when the paper-based and born-digital records are arranged in such a way that they have a sibling relationship, where the content is mirrored.  

3. Integrate born-digital records at the file (folder) level. This is appropriate when the digital records and paper-based records are already integrated at the archival file level (example, a floppy disk in a folder) OR there is a direct one-to-one relationship between born-digital and paper-based records (example, twelve audio files with twelve corresponding printed transcripts).  

These options reflect the three most common approaches collection creators take when maintaining their digital files in relation to their paper-based records.  

Arrangement types are not mutually exclusive; perhaps some media carriers or digital files are integrated with the paper-based records, but not others. Other times, no meaningful original order is present, or the original order presents challenges for use. In these cases, the processor should utilize the below “Considerations for Arrangement” to determine which of the three arrangement schemes makes sense for the collection (or parts of the collection) and include the rationale for arrangement in the processing plan.  

Options and examples for arranging records for entirely born-digital collections are currently a work in progress; however, they include maintaining the creator’s directory (or folder) structure and arranging by record function. 

As with all collections, the processor should consult with the Collections Services Archivist prior to starting any re-arrangement. 

Considerations for Arrangement  

When considering an arrangement structure, please keep the following in mind. 

1. Intellectual order of materials as they arrive. 

• How are the born-digital files arranged?  

• For large groups of born-digital files, such as from a network transfer, hard drive, or other high-capacity external media carrier), is there an existing directory structure /sub-file structure? 

• How are they arranged relative to the paper-based records?  

2. Staff resources 

• Is the arrangement scheme reasonable from a time-investment perspective? (Intellectual integration at the file level is very intensive!)  

• Do our technical resources permit arranging the digital files in the preferred manner? 

• Keep in mind that physical and intellectual arrangement do not have to be the same!  

3. User discovery and access  

• How are researchers most likely going to search the collection for the born-digital files?  

• If a body of born-digital files (e.g., email) will need to be accessed as a unit (typically on site), it may make sense to describe it as a unit and not parsed into series. 

4. Accruals 

• Are accruals anticipated? For practical reasons, post-processing accruals may be described as a separate series, which may have the effect of creating a separate series for born-digital files.  

Arrangement Scenarios 

1. Separate series for all born-digital files 

• M. Judah Folkman papers, Series IX. Electronic Records, 1990-2007. Subseries A. Compact Discs, Subseries B. Floppy Disks, Subseries C. Zip Disks, Subseries D. USB Flash Drives.  

• Sven Paulin papers, Series IX. Digital Files, 1990-2014 

  • “This series includes only those digital files that were not originally maintained with paper records, and were not easily categorized into the other series.” 

2. Subseries or grouping of born-digital records within each series  

• Fredrick J. Stare papers, Series II. Correspondence Files, Subseries E. Digital Letters 

• Marie C. McCormick papers. Series I. Research Records. Subseries D. Infant Health and Development Program Electronic Records.  

  • Subseries D is arranged in four subseries: 1. Administrative, Research, and Publishing Records, 2000-2015; 2. Correspondence, 2009-2016; 3. Research Data, 2003; and 4. IRB Consent Form Drafts, 2003. These subseries are the product of grouping the use copies to better reflect their functional contents. Each image’s files were maintained together, in part to reflect the already similar contents within each image, and in part to avoid artificially creating record groupings. Subseries labels were added to the use copies from each image or group of images, as a means to better identify and distinguish the contents of each image’s files, for easier discovery. Due to similarity of contents, Subseries B includes the files extracted from two images. All other subseries map to the contents of only one image. More information on this arrangement and subseries to image mappings may be found in the collection’s electronic records documentation folder on the network drive. 

3. File-level Integration 

• Marie C. McCormick papers. Series I. Research Records. C. Infant Health and Development Program, Phase IV Records. IHDP. 18 Year Assessment 

• Sven Paulin papers. Series VII. Personal and Biographical Files. Sven [digital files], 2004-2014 

• Safe Space Radio records (example forthcoming)
   

Describing Born-Digital Records

Listing 

• When paper-based records and born-digital files on carrier media (such as floppy disks or CDs) are found together in the same folder, the folders mixed-format contents constitute one intellectual unit. For description purposes, this means that the folder translates to one “file” level component in EAD and should be listed as one line on the folder list. (See: Listing)

• All media should be assigned a unique e-media number. When listing, note e-media numbers. If multiple pieces of e-media are present in one folder, list each e-media number, rather than giving a range) in the appropriate column. (See: E-media: Logging & Imaging)

Considerations for Description  

1. Staff time 

2. Technical limitations  

3. Ability to provide a file manifest 

4. Existing digital arrangement  

Note Fields  

The following fields must be included in descriptions of born-digital files. Some fields may only be required at the collection level, while others may only be required at, say, the file level. For guidance, please see Harvard’s Joint Processing Guidelines: Born-Digital Description.  

Title  

A title field is required at every level of description. For hybrid collections, use a generic term (e.g., papers, records) at the collection level. When describing all born-digital files, whether at the collection, series, or file level, include a more specific term.  

Examples: 

• All born-digital collection:

  • Safe Space Radio digital records

• Hybrid collection:  

  • Judah M. Folkmann papers   

    • Series IX: Digital Files 

      • A. Compact Discs 

      • B. Floppy Disks 

      • C. Zip Disks 

      • D. USB Flash Drives 

Dates  

Dates should be inclusive of born-digital files at all levels of description. For born-digital files, modified dates may be relevant in addition to creation dates.  

Creator  

The collection creator’s name should be used at the collection level. The Joint Processing Guidelines indicate that this field should be used for “[t]he person, family, or corporate body who created or collected the materials, not the software or hardware used to create them.    

Extent  

In hybrid collections, use two extent statements: one for the analog extent and one for the digital extent.

1. Cubic feet of physical collections, including storage media. (See: Calculating Extent)  

2. Total size of digital content, expressed as kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, or terabytes (spell out the term instead of abbreviating as, e.g., GB). Use kilobytes for amounts less than 1 megabyte, use megabytes for amounts less than 1 gigabyte, etc. Round to two decimal places. (See: Calculating Extent)

Example

• Mary Ellen Wohl papers) 

  • 7.26 cubic feet (5 records center cartons, 1 half letter size document box, 1 oversized box)  

  • 0.2 Gigabytes (26 digital files in 3 digital folders)

Use born-digital files as a catch-all term; use digital video files and digital audio files as specific terms if relevant. 

At the series/subseries level, calculate the digital extent in gigabytes of the digital files that are part of that series.  

Extent: Container Summary  

• Use a container summary anywhere you use an extent statement for born-digital records, following the format: # Gigabytes (# born-digital files in # digital folders).  

Example:

• 276 Gigabytes (13,615 born-digital files in 2,106 digital folders)

Language  

The language field should be used for the written/spoken language of records, not computer/encoding language. It is required at the collection level.  

Scope and Content  

Include scope and content notes as-needed, including born-digital genre terms, carrier media formats, and file formats. For born-digital series/subseries, cross reference related materials in an analog series/subseries. (See: Scope and Contents)

General Note 

Use this field to provide  unique identifiers for e-media carriers (floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.). Log e-media in the ElectronicMediaTrackingDB (N:\Collections\07_Collections_Databases_and_Lists\Electronic Records and Digital Collections).  When creating the folder list template, note each e-media number individually. Do not use a number range. The e-media number column in the spreadsheet translates to the General Note field. (See: E-media: Logging & Imaging)

Conditions Governing Access  

At the collection level, the Conditions Governing Access indicates the presence of restricted material in the records described, regardless of the records’ format or manner of access (i.e., physical papers accessed in the reading room, born-digital files accessed on a networked computer onsite, or born-digital files accessed remotely). Restriction periods are used for student records, Harvard University records, patient records, and others. (See: Restrictions)  

For information on how researchers will physically access born-digital files, use the Physical Characteristics and Technical Access field. 

Use and modify the template language below, as appropriate:  

Note restriction periods in the folder list template. 

On the N drive: Append the year the restriction period expires to the e-media number of any electronic media restricted records by adding 50 or 80 (years) to the latest date of the born-digital files from that piece of media. For example: 8346_Restricted_2077.  

Physical Description Note  

If appropriate at any level of description, consider using the Physical Description Note field to provide more detail about file formats or media carriers.  

Abstract  

For a hybrid collection with a significant number of born-digital files, mention the born-digital files’ content and formats in the abstract.  

Arrangement  

Optional: For hybrid collections, describe the integration method for born-digital files. 

Subjects  

Include the Getty AAT terms, “Electronic records (digital records)” and/or “Web archives,” in the collection-level list of controlled access headings. Include more specific terms if needed. 

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements  

Use at appropriate levels of description.  

Give a more specific delineation of file formats, file format types, and/or media carriers if necessary.  

Include information about proprietary file formats, hardware/system requirements, software access needs, and any limitations on rendering. 

Note impact on delivery, e.g., if the item requires special equipment or software, or if original can’t be viewed but surrogate is available. 

Describe any special conditions or methods for accessing digital files (downloading, streaming, on-site only, etc.) that are dictated by the content of the files or by donor agreements. 

 Use and modify the language below, as appropriate:  

Conditions Governing Use  

Use the Center’s standard Conditions Governing Use language at the collection level:  

If applicable, incorporate any separate conditions governing the (re)use of born-digital files into this note. 

Processing Information  

Describe any action taken on born-digital files or their carrier media, with the level of specificity that will be useful to the researcher. This could include modifying file names or file paths, reformatting, changing or retaining the file structure, method of capture/transfer, creation of checksums, deletion of files or folders, redaction or screening for PII, virus scanning  

If born-digital files in a hybrid collection were processed earlier/later or by a different person than the analog material, include parallel notes for each portion.  

If there is substantial processing information related specifically to born digital files, consider adding a separate “Processing Information – Digital Processing” note. 

Use the following standard note for collections with born-digital files. Modify as appropriate to reflect the specific transfer method(s) and tasks applied:   

If duplicates and blanks were discarded at the point of acquisition/accessioning, record this information in the Appraisal Information note instead of in the Processing Information note.  

Use the following file level processing note if media is unable to be imaged due to technical considerations (degradation, lack of software/hardware):