Building trust in information: perspectives on the frontiers of provenance

Abstract

Building Trust in Information is a collection of multidisciplinary papers originally presented at an international workshop held in 2015 to explore the conceptualisation and application of provenance in digital ecosystems. While the book is ‘foundational’ in its treatment of provenance, it is not a text on provenance fundamentals. Nor does it seek to be a definitive representation of disciplinary views on provenance. The book’s aims are to (1) unpack and explore different professional conceptualisations of provenance; (2) synthesise those ideas; and (3) enrich our understanding of provenance to advance new research in this area. The first two aims are broadly achieved in the first chapter authored by Victoria L Lemieux, and the imProvenance Group. Nine of the fifteen workshop participants present their disciplinary perspectives on ‘provenance’ in the rest of the book and, in varying degrees, contribute to the first and third aims. Published in digital and hardcopy versions, the book is divided into five parts: (1) Synthesis; (2) Archival Perspectives; (3) Library and Information Science Perspectives; (4) Computer Science Perspectives; and (5) Cognitive Science Perspectives Through the Lens of Visual Analytics. Bibliographies and/or references are included in each chapter. The book is not indexed. Part I is a lengthy and informative discussion of the key points raised in the rest of the book. It provides an extensive and diverse set of examples (use cases) where the application of provenance is challenged by technology, process and stakeholder expectations. It recognises that while different disciplinary views on provenance co-exist and can be challenging, they can also offer opportunities for all professions to better understand, manage and use provenance-related data. Very little guidance is given on how this can be achieved through research and practice. Part II explores the history and application of provenance in archival science. In the first chapter Adrian Cunningham discusses the development of the Australian Series System in response to the challenge of multiple provenances and how the system has evolved and influenced archival theory, standards and practice in the digital environment. Giovanni Michetti examines the definition and conceptualisation of provenance and discusses provenance in the context of current research, how it influences different archival functions and identifies technology-enabled opportunities for enriching archival approaches to provenance. The archival perspective closes with Kenneth Thibodeau’s argument that conceptual ‘narrowness and vagueness’ (p. 70) have generated disagreement and confusion about the archival application of provenance and original order. He suggests that by modifying concepts, methods and tools from other disciplines, archivists can enhance the management and preservation of records in the digital environment. Part III covers the library and information science perspectives of provenance. Lucie C Burgess explains the wide definition of provenance in libraries and its use for understanding 246 BOOK REVIEWS