The following Questions and Answers are updated by the study team as they process queries sent to:
numeric@ipf.co.uk
Question: There are several questions in the survey, seeking information about the cost of digitisation. We understand the definition applying to question 12 (budget for digitisation), which includes all processes and managment overheads. However, please can you be more specific about the definition applying to other questions in the survey?
Answer: We judge that it really would be difficult to gain consistent information from all institutions, if all the workflow and management overheads were included at questions 19, 23, 26 and 28. These questions only reflect the scanning (and when relevant OCR) procedures, because the "packaging" costs of presenting the digital output on-line, will be a fixed overhead that also applies to many other activities including mainitaining the web-site. Apportioning these costs down to single items that are digitised would be spurious.
Question 12 attempts to be more inclusive of the wider workflow and management overheads associated with your digitisation activities. However, we also understand that if you have a budget (i.e. an amount identified in an approved management document of your institution), this may reflect a different definition, that accords with your own institution`s policy. You will also have noticed that the cost of "planned" digitisation work, at question 33, should coincide with your best estimate of what a contractor would charge for providing the digitised output.
Question: Regarding questions 8 and 9 of the survey, if a library is integrated in a bigger organisation, what information should be considered? The employees and budget of the organisation or the employees and budget of the library?
Answer: If the library is part of a larger organisation, then questions 8 and 9 relate solely to staff and budget of the library, rather than the whole organisation of which it is a part. Similarly Archives, Museums, or Audio-visual collections forming part of larger organisations should report the numbers specific to their particular function. If, however, the institution is a combination of archive, library and/or museum, then the institution should report its type accordingly ("Other type of organisation"), and state the total staff and budgets devoted to the relevant combined cultural functions.
Question: The Numeric Study questionnaire has been sent to me. However, we have not, to my knowledge, undertaken any digitisation work. Do you wish to have questionnaires returned from those not participating in digitisation activity, or are you purely interested in those who have, or are planning, digitisation work?
Answer: Yes, please will you complete the questionnaire. This will help us establish the proportion of all institutions where no digitisation activity is taking place. To ensure that we weight our analysis properly, please will you also ensure you provide us with the data on the size of your analogue collection, on the "Activity" sheet (Q33).
We apologise for what may seem to be "a sledge hammer to crack a nut", but measuring the true activity relating to digitisation is a very hard nut!
Question: Which fiscal year should I take as the base from which to count the cost of digitisation, when responding to the survey?
Answer: The only financial questions pegged to a specific period are Q9 & Q12, both of which relate to an annual budget, and the time periods are defined in the questionnaire. The remaining questions about cost / expenditure relate to the whole period during which digitisation work has been undertaken by the institution. In reality this will be the period for which information exists or reliable estimates can be made. Q13 asks for proportions of "costs to-date", in this context. On the "Standards" page, Q19, Q23, Q26, and Q28 are averages, where the period is defined as that "already undertaken", at the top of the page. However, we assume that these estimates will be based on the most recent work undertaken in the institution. Q33 ("Activity" page) seeks financial information relating to the whole of the planning period, (up to 2012). The costs of particular projects (column 7 of "Projects" page) will be for the period defined by the project.
Question: How do you define a "relevant" institution?
Answer: Relevant institutions are considered to be those where digitisation of collections will significantly enhance access to the nation`s cultural heritage. These are the main archives, film and broadcasting institutes, libraries, museums and agencies responsible for historic monuments. It is a matter of judgement, based on local knowledge, which amongst the country`s institutions fall into this category. Institutions administered by regional governments and municipalities may hold significant collections of value to the nation`s heritage. However, there are clearly some that are irrelevant (school libraries) and insignificant (neighbourhood or small public libraries) for this survey. In larger countries the proportion of institutions that are relevant is likely to be less than those in smaller countries. Records Offices / Archives, the main museums and libraries of cities, and all film and broadcasting institutes are likely to be relevant. Not all Higher Education establishments may be relevant, since the "heritage" materials are more likely to concentrate in the longer established universities
Question: I have entered the number of institutions for my country in the computer assisted tool, Sheet "A". I believe all 100 of our Archives are relevant institutions, and the tool suggests selecting a sample of 15 Archives. How should I make a representative selection?
Answer: We assume that you have located a directory of central government and municipal archives and that all 100 archives are listed by regional / county / departmental responsibility.
After selecting the main state archive, simply because of its importance, there are 14 more to include.
Either, list all archives alphabetically and then count down this list, selecting every 7th named institution.
(100 - 1 State Archive) = 99 remaining institutions¸ 14 required = an interval in the list of 7 institutions, per selection.
Or, there are, for example, 28 regions in your country. Select 14 of these regions, ensuring a good geographic spread, and include the first alphabetic listed archive from each.
Question: The cost of digitisation is requested at several points on the questionnaire. Is this really necessary, because it would be preferable to keep the survey short for all concerned?
Answer: We are all aware of the need to minimise the survey burden on respondents, and we have to balance this with the need to gain useful information. Not all institutions keep information in the same way, and so we need to ask for such information in different ways. In most cases individual institutions will need to make estimates, but will be able to consider putting in place management information systems to verify these estimates in future. After all, the investment in the digitisation agenda is sufficient to be monitored effectively, and the questionnaire will undoubtedly raise awareness of the need maintain relevant information.
Question: Is the library of the Academy of Sciences a relevant institution in the Numeric framework; and, if so, how should it be categorised (on Sheet "A")?
Answer: Probably, yes. If the collections of the library are likely to include materials of significant value to the digital heritage of your country, then it definitely should be included. In this case the library should be included under the most appropriate heading that you believe the institution serves in your country: either a "National", Higher Education" or, more probably, a "Special" library. If the collections are solely technical articles and volumes relating to scientific subjects, but of no cultural heritage relevance, then it is not necessary to include this institution.
Question: We have some uncertainity about whether to include the archives of private broadcasting / film companies when reporting the number of AV/Film institutions in our country (on Sheet "A")?
Answer: Unless these institutions hold material of significant value to the digitised cultural heritage of the nation, they should be excluded. The focus of the survey is on the heritage maintained in the public domain.
Question: I have noticed that there are additional notes of guidance in the questionnaire, that appear when you select each question. Is there a convenient summary of this guidance, so that I can make a translation for respondents in my country?
Answer: Yes, there is a summary contained on the "Text" link on the Framework > Survey Administration page.
