In order to create and adapt your archive, or develop your own application, you can refer to our technical specifications to ensure it conforms with the eArchiving standards.
eArchiving technical specifications describe open formats for packaging data and metadata to ensure interoperability of archival solutions and data repositories.
The most common principles and requirements are presented separately within the E-ARK Common Specification for Information Packages (CSIP). The eArchiving specifications are being maintained by DILCIS Board where you can get further information and get access to latest and previous versions of the specification documents in PDF format.
The following diagram shows the E-ARK specification dependency hierarchy.
At the root is the Common Specification for Information Packages (CSIP), which defines the general format requirements that must be met by all other specifications in the hierarchy.
One level below are the OAIS package type specifications for the transfer to archival repositories (E-ARK SIP), for the preservation over extended periods (E-ARK AIP) and for the reuse of archived content (E-ARK DIP).
At the bottom of the diagram are the so called Content Information Type Specifications (CITS) which describe formats and recommendations for specific application domains, such as geographic data (CITS Geospatial), relational databases (CITS SIARD), and health (CITS eHealth1 Patient Medical Records), just to name a few. Note that the image only shows a selection of the published CITS.
Below is a list of the most important specifications. The links lead to an overview page of the specifications on the DILCIS Board website where you can find the current version as well as all previous versions.
Examples for the Content Information Type Specifications (CITS) are the following:
- E-ARK Content Information Type Specification for Electronic Records Management Systems (CITS ERMS)
- E-ARK Content Information Type Specification for digital geospatial data records archiving (CITS Geospatial)
- E-ARK Content Information Type Specification for Relational Databases using SIARD (CITS SIARD)
You can find information about other Content Information Type Specifications (CITS) on the DILCIS Board website.
Finally, there are specifications which can be used in combination with any of the above mentioned specifications to ensure interoperability of descriptive and preservation metadata:
- E-ARK Common Specification for Archival Information (CS Archival)
- E-ARK Common Specification for Preservation metadata (CS Preservation
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On GitHub you can follow latest updates and developments regarding E-ARK Specifications and E-ARK Software, Services, and Tools. |
If you have any questions or comments about this page, or eArchiving in general, please visit the eArchiving Initiative support desk
Related Content
Big Picture
The eArchiving Initiative provides core specifications, software, training and knowledge to help people store information for longer.
See Also
Lists of archives, repositories, and digital preservation solutions that have demonstrated conformance according to the E-ARK specifications.
The four projects that were funded under the CEF-TC-2020-2: eArchiving call released by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) under the Telecom Work Programme.
eArchiving support desk provides users information on the eArchiving specifications.
The eArchiving Glossary gives an overview about the main terms used in the context of the eArchiving initiative including the specifications and tools.
The eArchiving initiative counts on organisations and institutions to share knowledge and build the eArchiving community.
The eArchiving Conformance Seal is a sign of quality of digital archiving, long term preservation, and data management following standards and best practices.
We are building on the synergies of relevant projects within the Digital Europe programme.
eArchiving offers training resources to promote understanding of eArchiving services and simplify long-term access to information.
The eArchiving Knowledge Centre aims to provide easy access to information on eArchiving tools.
Make sure your development of components or end-to-end solutions preserve data safely and in line with European standards, so your clients can trust your applications.