Survey on user requirements for web archiving

Description

This report presents a study conducted to identify and map the specific user requirements for web and social media archives. Researchers, librarians, archivists, and other stakeholders who engage with these digital resources were the focus. The central research question is: “What are user requirements for web and social media archives?” The study aimed to understand the needs and practices of diverse user groups to optimize the usability and effectiveness of these archives. By gathering detailed feedback, the study sought to inform the development of tools, interfaces, and methodologies that align with user expectations and support effective research and analysis. A survey was launched to collect broader insights into user requirements (see survey text and survey results). This survey ran from October 9 2024 till January 13 2025. To maximize outreach and participation, the survey was distributed through a variety of targeted channels. It was shared with an expert panel via Teams and email, as well as with contacts from the BESOCIAL and PROMISE projects. The survey link was included in the KBR newsletter and shared through relevant mailing lists such as IIPC, JISC, RESAW, and IFLA. It was also promoted within digital humanities communities, including DH Benelux and the DH Early Career Researcher Virtual Discussion Group. A temporary pop-up was added to the KBR website and catalogue to attract visitors organically. Additionally, the survey was promoted on social media channels of KBR and partner institutions, and efforts were made to engage organisers of the Praktijknetwerk Sociale Media Archiveren and researchers at UCLouvain to support further distribution. The survey explored four key areas: content selection, search interface functionalities, API access, and content enrichment, while also collecting basic demographic information and details on respondents’ experience with web archives. This multi-channel dissemination strategy ensured diverse participation, including researchers, librarians, and professionals from libraries, archives, and heritage institutions.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
54 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5036
11 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5035
0 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5077
11 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5071
54 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5076
11 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5073
11 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5074
0 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5072
11 https://www.sodha.be/file.xhtml?fileId=5075

Tags

  • social-media-archiving
  • web-archiving
  • user-requirements
  • social-sciences

Topics

  • SOCI

Categories