arkivkopian

Arkivkopian is a term used in archival science to denote the archival copy of a record. It is an authoritative, long-term preservation version kept to ensure authenticity, integrity, and ongoing accessibility. The arkivkopian is distinct from other copies such as the original working copy or public access copies prepared for users. It aims to preserve content, structure, and technical characteristics, together with provenance and essential metadata, in a stable format suitable for long-term storage.

The copy is typically created during ingest into a digital repository, often using lossless formats and preservation metadata, along with checksums to support fixity verification. In practice, the arkivkopian serves as the repository’s primary reference object; access copies may be derived from it for use, while the arkivkopian itself remains subject to preservation actions.

Management of an arkivkopian involves governance over provenance, rights, and preservation planning. Preservation actions include format migrations, metadata augmentation, integrity checks, and replication across storage sites to mitigate data loss.

The concept is widely used in Nordic and European archival contexts to emphasize the distinction between the preserved asset and dissemination copies. As a core element of digital preservation, the arkivkopian underpins authenticity, reproducibility, and long-term access to archival records.