(Revised) PSI Directive Theme: Persistence

When records of an official nature need to be used as part of the process management protocols, a standard method of referring to a particular "snapshot" of the data elements grouped together and forming such records is required. There are three main needs which emerge from the ability to refer and get access to information in a consistent and predictable manner on the basis of:

• the latest (current) version of a record;
• a specific version of the record in a specific time-dimension;
• a specific language manifestation of such records which is published as a “translation” of a previously assigned “original” record.

Persistence of records should be based on the use of a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) which is created by using a strategy which ensures that such identifiers can be created and continue to be used while keeping the same meaning over a long period of time which goes beyond the normal life-cycle of a record and well beyond the "disposal" or "archival" stages. The methods for the identifiers used for the persistence of records should be technology neutral and satisfy both human and machine-readable consumption of the information and the metadata attached to such records. The following Best Practices develop these ideas further.

• Assess dataset coverage
• (Re)use federated tools
• Preserve identifiers
• Use persistent URIs as identifiers of datasets
• Use persistent URIs as identifiers within datasets
• Assign URIs to dataset versions and series
• Provide version history