Data and Power: Archival Appraisal Theory as a Framework for Data Preservation

Digital data pervades everyday life, from personal photos shared on social media to voice commands for Amazon Alexa. A widespread industry culture of "move fast and break things, " however, has compelled data management practices that prioritize profit over preservation. This paper draws from archival theories of appraisal to foreground control, power, subjectivity, and emotion in computing practices that treat data storage as a neutral or objective cost-center. We draw on postmodern archival appraisal theory that recognizes the archive as a powerful and subjective curator of identity and memory. The theoretical basis of archival decision practices, in turn, establishes the value of the archival record and thus the need to save it. With three primary issues of appraisal theory as a framework, we report on an interview study with adults (N=17), ages 51-72, who are in a transitional life-stage that focuses them on their experiences and memories that are worth keeping or discarding. We sketch implications for data management paths that forefront legacy, life transitions, precarity, and control.