The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive: Connecting communities and research data
- Gabrielle Gardiner
- Kirsten Thorpe
Abstract
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive (ATSIDA) is a specialist section of the Australian Data Archive (ADA) that manages the collection and storage of Australian Indigenous research data. It is important to collect and preserve the data being produced by researchers in this field to make it available for secondary access and use, both as a means of reducing the burden on over-researched Indigenous communities, and enabling informed analysis in areas of national priority. Research and documentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages is a significant area of attention, and the data created during this research should be managed in order to secure its long term preservation. While budget limitations for higher education and cultural institutions present considerable challenges to projects such as ATSIDA, the potential benefits are enormous for all stakeholders and to society as a whole. The digital domain offers opportunities for archives to be constructed in sustainable ways that ensure that communities keep connected to their cultural heritage materials. The work of ATSIDA demonstrates that archive programs can be based on effective protocols that embrace principles of trust, respect and engagement with Indigenous communities.
Keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive, Australian Data Archive, Indigenous communities, access, preservation, archiving, Aboriginal languages
How to Cite:
Gardiner, G. & Thorpe, K., (2014) “The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive: Connecting communities and research data”, Language Documentation and Description 12, 103-119. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd167
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