College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) Assistant Professor of Information Science
Lori Richards, PhD recently published an article in
The American Archivist, the leading publication in the archives field, published semi-annually by the Society of American Archivists.
Titled “Teaching Data Creators How to Develop an OAIS-Compliant Digital Curation System: Co-Learning and Breakdowns in Support of Requirements Analysis”, Richards’ paper outlines the work of Drexel researchers who developed an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) W. J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
OAIS was used to develop a prototype for the Center, which sought a system for a data curation and sharing repository that would allow FAA researchers in different geographical locations to share and reuse scientific data.
This project use an action research methodology, meaning individuals worked with others in teams, engaging in “colearning” to improve the way they solve problems. Colearning experiences enabled an evolved understanding of requirements within the system, helping researchers create concrete goals and plans during this study.
Besides digital curation and electronic records management, Richards’ research interests include archives; information technology and digital collections; record keeping; and management of information organizations.
Her previous publications include a book chapter titled, “
Collaborative Access Development Strategies in a Big Data Aviation Research Environment" in
In Creating Trustworthy Repositories for Digital Records: Theory and Practice. She has also presented on data curation capabilities in non-archival organization for the Archival Education and Research Institute (AERI).
Richards earned a doctorate in information science from University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, a master of science in economics from California State University and a bachelor of science in economics from the University of California (UC) in Santa Cruz.