About COPTR

COPTR is a wiki based registry of digital preservation tools. It's main aim is to help practitioners discover preservation tools that will help them tackle particular preservation challenges. It can be browsed and searched directly by practitioners, or queried by other systems via an API.

Each tool in COPTR is categorised by the Lifecycle Stage it falls within, the (sub) Function it performs and by the Content Type that it operates on. It may also input and/or output specific file formats. For example, EpubCheck performs the Function Validation, it operates on EBook Content and has EPUB as an input format. COPTR can help by enabling you to browse to tools that meet a particular need - perhaps relating to a specific Content Type or Function.

COPTR also holds digital preservation workflows. Sharing a workflow is a great way to exchange digital preservation practice and enable conversations around tools and how they are used.

How can I get involved?

COPTR is a wiki, which means anyone can edit it and your contributions are very welcome. All changes are tracked, so if a mistake is made, it can easily be undone. So don't hold back - please dive in a help make the information in COPTR better. Here are some suggestions:

• Add a new tool to COPTR. Add a tool you're familiar with or check out this wish list of tools to add to COPTR.
• Add a new workflow to COW. It doesn't have to be a finished workflow - a draft or proposal is still useful!
• Correct or add more detail to existing entries - use the "Edit with form" option to do this. For example, you could add input or output formats. Ask for help (see below) if you need to create new File format entries.

What is the scope of COPTR?

COPTR captures basic, factual details about a tool, what it does, how to find more information (relevant URLs) and references to user experiences with the tool. The scope is a broad interpretation of the term "digital preservation". In other words, if a tool is useful in performing a digital preservation function such as those described in the OAIS model or the DCC lifecycle model, then it's within scope of this registry.

• In scope: Characterisation, visualisation, rendering, migration, storage, fixity, access, delivery, search, web archiving, open source software ->everything inbetween<- commercial software.
• Out of scope: Digitisation, file creation

Why does COPTR exist?

The digital preservation community had created a whole host of different tool registries that described preservation tools. Many people had also written blog posts about tools or organisations hosted web pages with lists of tools that tackled particular areas. There was lots of duplication between these lists and registries, but at the same time, each one often held tools that weren't described elsewhere. COPTR was built by bringing together and rationalising these other registries and lists. It was originally created as a small activity within the Jisc funded SPRUCE Project, and has been significantly developed since - most notably with an upgrade to Semantic Mediawiki in 2021.

Sustainability

The following arrangements are in place to ensure the sustainability of COPTR:

• Hosting is kindly provided by the OPF.
• Content is provided and maintained by you, the community! DPC, DDHN and POWRR have been active in coordinating and implementing maintenance and editathons.
• Regular data dumps are provided to NDIIPP and arrangements are in place to provide a route to future hosting should OPF be unable to continue to provide this service.

Technical stuff

• Data structures in COPTR - information on the COPTR data model and it's maintenance
• How COPTR Works - information on the technical setup of COPTR
• How to use the COPTR data feed and API

Organizational Contributions

Organisations who would like to contribute the contents of their tool registry to COPTR should:

• Merge your own tool registry data with the new community registry (COPTR can help with this)
• Remove your own registry and agree not to set up any new project owned registries/lists
• Link to COPTR or expose the COPTR data by utilising the COPTR data feed
• Contribute any effort you have in adding new tools over time, to the community registry

COPTR is aiming to concentrate information about digital preservation tools in one place, keep the information in the registry maintainable and current by pooling the community's effort in one place, and avoid the emergence of new registries.

Contact, feedback and questions

Contact Paul Wheatley or Andy Jackson, or contribute feedback on Main page/discussion.