Audiovisual Data Curation Primer

Abstract

This primer reviews the practices of curating audiovisual data. Data is defined as “facts, ideas, or discrete pieces of information, especially when in the form originally collected and unanalyzed” (Society of American Archivists). Audiovisual data is then discrete pieces of information captured in signals and sound waves that when given context allow the user to create meaning. We believe that what makes something research data is the way it is utilized, as not all data was created initially for research purposes. While audiovisual materials are not a common form of research data in all fields, they have been used in the social sciences, such as behavioral psychology and anthropology, and we have seen a new movement towards audiovisual data in the sciences as well. The increasing affordability of storage space and the continual development of quality recording equipment seem to be driving this new enthusiasm for audiovisual data.