Evaluating Archives

Criteria from class: You may choose several criteria from this list, or come up with your own.

Is it clear what kind of materials are in the collection?
How easy is the interface to navigate?
What is the organizing principle?
How are the items contextualized? (Historically, socially, thematically, etc.)
Who is the audience? (Are they casual viewers, specialized scholars, or someone else?)
Does the archive make reference to a physical exhibition space?
Does the archive provide direct access to the collection materials?
How does the archive make its collection continuously relevant? Is it updated?
Are there links to scholarship, writing, or events that involve the archive?
How consistent is the archive across different sections, items, or pages?
What tools does the archive offer for filtering, sorting, or reorganizing?
What is the archive’s aesthetic? Is the visual layout effective?
What does the archive institution ask from you, and why? (Personal data, signup, surveys, advertising, etc)
Who is the archive’s curator? When and where did/does curation take place?
What possibilities exist (within the interface) for creative or generative interaction with the archival materials? Is there a place to add/share your own insights?
Is there social media integration, and how useful is it? Are there other ways to interact with fellow visitors?
What are the possibilities and restrictions for exploration?
Waht data are available? Missing? Hidden?
How well does the interface suit the collection materials?
How does the interface utilize non-visual sensation (such as sound, emotion, affect)?
What is surprising about the archive?
What aspects are strongest and weakest?

For further inspiration, you may also wish to view some evaluations of archives from students in “Critical Digital Archives,” a course taught at UT Austin by Hannah Alpert-Abrams and Kelly McDonough.

Archives from class:

Massachusetts Historical Society Adams Family Papers

The Metropolitan Opera Archives

Office for Metropolitan Architecture (Rem Koolhaas)

Rijksmuseum Rijksstudio

MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies - Special Collection

Dada-Data

Other archives:

Archives of the International Tracing Service (ITS)

Australian Live Performance Database

Authorial London

Berlinische Galerie