Testing Our Truths: Delineating the Parameters of the Authentic Archival Electronic Record

Based on the work of the first phase of the International Research on Permanent Authentic Electronic Record Project (InterPARES 1), this paper argues that emerging considerations specific to electronic records necessitate that the archival community delineate mechanisms for establishing, maintaining, and certifying the authenticity of preserved and reference copies of electronic records. The paper reviews how the InterPARES 1 Project identified such mechanisms through the conduct of a series of case studies of electronic information and record-keeping systems. The paper places a discussion of the case study data collection, analysis, and outcomes in the context of the quest and rationale for effective methods and a research design that would allow InterPARES researchers to discern the parameters of the electronic record and what supports a presumption of its authenticity.