Ikkesaksbare

Ikkesaksbare is a term used in Norwegian digital governance and data management to describe content or data units that cannot be cleanly separated into independent, processable parts. In practice, a data item is ikkessaksbar when its meaning and utility depend on a tightly integrated structure in which content, metadata, and rights information are inseparable for any meaningful processing or reuse.

Origin and usage: The term is a relatively new neologism that has emerged mainly in online discussions among archivists, data managers, and policy analysts in the 2020s. It is not codified in formal standards and has no single authoritative definition, but it is used to signal a specific limitation in data interoperability and preservation.

Characteristics: Ikkesaksbare objects typically exhibit strong interdependencies among elements, embedded metadata that cannot be detached, proprietary formats with rigid architectures, or legal constraints that bind data to its context. These factors hinder modular extraction, redistribution, or automated processing.

Implications: The concept highlights challenges in data governance, digital preservation, and research reuse. It may require alternative strategies such as contextual preservation, rights-aware representations, or manual intervention. The presence of ikkessaksbare content can affect how organizations archive, share, and cite digital resources.

See also: Digital preservation, data governance, data interoperability, redaction, licensing, metadata.