Below is the current version of my “research questions,” along with what I will be looking at in terms of factors which may have some influence upon the research questions: the axes of measurement.
- Research Questions: Ideals vs. Perceived Reality
- What values are foremost in decisions to delete or retain digital objects (e.g., does emotional attachment outweigh privacy concerns, etc.)?
- How do these values vary for each individual when operating in a different context (e.g., at work vs. at home, when working with email vs. working with images)?
- How do these values differ when considered from the individual perspective (how they believe they actually decide) as compared to an individually idealised perspective (how they believe they ought to decide)?
- How do individuals perceive others as making these same decisions, and how does this differ from how they believe others ought to decide?
- What values are perceived as local to their particular organisation? Their particular profession?
- Are different values associated with different types of digital document?
- Which values have ever been factored into a decision to delete or retain?
- Which values ought not be considered in a decision to delete or retain?
- Factors considered as possible influences upon retention / destruction decisions
- Differences in type of organisation, or department within a larger organisation.
- Employment background involving a strong concept of “record.”
- Cultural background in which the society has a tradition of records management.
- General computer literacy.
- Shared vs. private content (i.e., whether their digital objects are accessed or used by others).
- Location of content (i.e., on a department or network drive, held by an application service provider, etc.).
- File-structure differences (e.g., do they routinely work with content which is highly organised, or which is “kept loose” in a “My Documents” folder or on their “Desktop”).
- Whether the content manipulated forms part of their primary job function (e.g., programming) .
- Whether working with individual documents or groups of documents.
- Whether they perceive that they are working with “a document,” or if they are simply engaged in a continuous process of editing, as in wiki pages, websites, etc.
- “Ownership” of the content.
- Regulatory or legal environment in which they work.
- The concept of “a legacy” or “posterity” as part of their conscious intention regarding their “curation” process.