Inspection

Inspection is the process of gathering detailed information about a file, in preparation for migration to new formats, as well as to check the status of works already preserved or yet to be preserved.

In the analog realm, works are regularly inspected in order to detect signs of deterioration in the physical objects. In the context of digital media, inspection of elements consists of checking regularly for operability. It is important to ask, for example, if the software and operating system are functional and still able to maintain the integrity of the work. These kinds of inspection tests cannot be performed without the appropriate hardware. Hardware devices also need to be inspected for operability to ensure that equipment is fully functional. Inspection reveals what conservation and preservation actions are needed.

The following characteristics or basic attributes of computer-based artwork should be examined and described in the catalog during inspection:

· operating speed of piece; does navigation of piece appear sluggish or fast? (Be mindful that the piece can be intentionally programmed by the artist to run at a specific speed.)
· arrangement of images and/or text
· readability of images and/or text
· functionality of hyperlinks
· calibration of display device

Ongoing Inspection

Rapidly changing technologies and the threat of obsolescence necessitate regular inspection and evaluation of the integrity of a computer-based artwork-the work as an interoperable system of data, data formats, software, and physical hardware.

It is hard to quantify how often items should be inspected. Often, software upgrades do not provide backward compatibility, thereby rendering large amounts of digital information obsolete in a short amount of time and without advance warning.

Ideally, inspections are performed as regularly as every six months. This is not always feasible, of course, but when bringing a computer-based work into a collection, periodic inspection should always be considered as part of the institution's responsibilities toward the work.

Test the work in its original environment as well as in the latest available environment using the newest version of software, operating system, and/or hardware. Retain multiple copies of the original software. These tests are good opportunities to assess preservation risks and consider what actions will be necessary when the work must be migrated.