ABSTRACT: 

 

DIGITAL PRESERVATION - THE eARCHIVING REFERENCE CURRICULUM​

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The eArchiving Initiative, funded by the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme, has developed a reference curriculum designed to support academic training in digital preservation. Aimed primarily at the master’s level, the eArchiving Reference Curriculum supports the formation of professionals equipped to address the long-term preservation of digital information in both public and private sectors. Its intended audience includes educators, students, and institutions seeking to strengthen their engagement with eArchiving as a specialised and multidisciplinary field.

 

This curriculum is the result of a comprehensive process that combined the analysis of over 200 European postgraduate courses with contributions from individual academics and structured discussions within the eArchiving Academic Curriculum Working Group. Anonymous feedback was gathered through online surveys, panel discussions at public events, and informal interviews across the European archival community. This collective effort shaped the curriculum’s scope, priorities, and pedagogical model.

 

The resulting curriculum adopts a modular structure to ensure adaptability across diverse institutional and national contexts. It includes six recommended modules: Introduction to eArchiving; eArchiving Standards and Specifications; Software Tools for eArchiving; eArchiving Data and Documents; Legal and Regulatory Compliance; and an Independent Project or Placement. These are designed to be implemented in full or selectively, depending on institutional needs. Optional modules, such as Sustainable Digital Archiving, may also be integrated as required.

 

In addition to its technical and legal content, the curriculum emphasises critical reflection, ethical awareness, and practical engagement with contemporary tools and standards. It also aligns with European regulatory framewoks, including the GDPR (work in progress is now also covering eIDAS2), while addressing international developments in digital preservation.

 

By presenting this work at QQML2025, we aim to share these, promote discussion among educators and information professionals, and support the wider adoption of shared educational frameworks in digital preservation. This effort contributes to a long-term vision of strengthening archival education and professional readiness across Europe.