Supporting Software Preservation Services in Research and Memory Organizations: A White Paper from the Software Preservation Network's Research-in-Practice Working Group

This white paper outlines findings from a survey- and interview-based study of software preservation service providers—an expansive category that includes archivists, librarians, preservation specialists, technologists, and other professional roles. The survey and interviews were conducted in 2019 by the SPN Research-in-Practice Working Group. An analysis of the survey and interview data suggests broad support for inter-organizational collaboration in software preservation, despite challenges that surface because of the malleable concepts of “software” that can vary across preservation contexts. Results presented in this paper include a set of service provider personas, an overview of the conceptions of software that exist in research and memory organizations, a delineation of multilevel barriers to software preservation, and a related set of themes and targeted recommendations.