Overview
ISO 23507:2025 - "Space data and information transfer systems - Information preparation to enable long term use" provides guidance on the Additional Information (broadly, metadata and preservation-related documentation) that projects must capture and maintain so their digital outputs remain understandable, usable and trustworthy over the short, medium and long term. Originating from the space community and aligned with OAIS concepts, the standard defines terminology, collection points (Collection Groups), and a framework to inform Data Management Plans (DMPs) and downstream archival actions.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Additional Information (metadata): Identifies what contextual, technical and provenance information must be collected or improved at specific project points to enable long-term reuse.
- Collection Groups and project handovers: Specifies typical activity groups within project phases where information capture is critical (e.g., design, calibration, validation, transfer).
- Representation and Preservation Description Information (PDI): Emphasizes capturing Representation Information and PDI so archived data remain independently understandable.
- Provenance capture: Requires documenting the history of data creation and transformations to support authenticity and reproducibility.
- Data Management Plans (DMPs): Provides a basis for scoping, specifying and evolving DMPs throughout a project life cycle.
- Framework activities: Recommends when and how to collect or update Additional Information during project workflows rather than only at project end.
- Interoperability with packaging and representation formats: Maps to practical mechanisms for representation and packaging (e.g., PVL, EAST, DEDSL, XFDU) without prescribing a single implementation.
- Terminology harmonization: Aligns definitions across space, science, library, records management and archival communities to ease mapping and reuse.
Practical applications and target users
ISO 23507 is practical for organizations and roles responsible for digital preservation and data reuse:
- Space mission teams (science and engineering) - to ensure mission data remain interpretable across decades.
- Research projects and funders - to structure and monitor DMPs that evolve with project phases.
- Data managers, archivists and repository engineers - to specify what to request from producers and to validate incoming submissions.
- Libraries, records managers and life-science communities - to adapt the guidance for domain-specific long-term use.
- System integrators and standards developers - to derive implementation guides and interface specifications for producer-archive workflows.
Benefits include improved data discoverability, usability, authenticity and reduced risk of data loss or misinterpretation over time.
Related standards and references
- OAIS (Open Archival Information System)
- PAIMAS (Producer-Archive Interface Methodology Abstract Standard)
- PAIS (Producer-Archive Interface Specification)
- Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repositories
- Representation/packaging standards: PVL, EAST, DEDSL, XFDU
- Contextual guidance: PMBOK, DMBOK
Keywords: ISO 23507, long-term preservation, space data, metadata, data management plan, OAIS, provenance, digital preservation.