Because good research needs good data

Investment in an Intangible Asset

Laurie Hunter, The University of Glasgow

Published: July 2006

Despite increasing acknowledgement of the importance of digital curation from those "on the ground" within HE and FE institutions, progress often remains hampered due to a lack of enabling measures, most notably financial support. 

As such, sustainable business models are urgently needed to ensure that digital curation processes become integrated into daily organisational activity.

Clear statements of the potential benefits of digital curation as well as the risks associated with losing access to digital information, are vital for influencing senior managers and decision-makers to divert funds from more tangible areas into digital curation and preservation.

This instalment will identify the most effective and convincing strategies for presenting the merits of digital curation to institutions' funders in order to secure money and other facilitators to ensure that Digital Curation is a practical possibility within HE and FE.

Download the Investment in an Intangible Asset chapter (pdf)

Key Points

  • Identifying the risks associated with loss of data
  • Identifying the benefits associated with preserving access to data
  • Models for long-term maintenance and sustainability
  • Collaborative approaches to developing models
  • Funding bodies
  • Real-life business models and examples