Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study to examine, determine and propose the optimal approach to develop impact assessment indicators for the UK Web Archive. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses the existing literature on impact assessment frameworks for digital resources and the types of impact in related fields to set an approach to develop an impact assessment plan. Primarily drawing from the Balanced Value Impact Model, the approach consists of three stages: context setting, indicator development and indicator evaluation. Findings The development of a set of potential impact assessment indicators for the UK Web Archive shows not only an optimal approach for the development but also recommendations for web archiving organisations. Research limitations/implications The research did not carry out follow-up interviews regarding the feedback from UK Web Archive's staff. Adoption of the new set of indicators will further this development. Practical implications The staff's duties influence their prioritisation of the indicators, so discussions among partners will be helpful in recognising different perceptions, unnoticed strengths and potential values. A progressive accumulation of assessment and improvements from the current state and small regular evaluations will be also helpful to demonstrate the impact and value to the stakeholders in the future. Originality/value This paper proposes a set of 13 potential indicators for the UK Web Archive of which functionality was checked against set quality criteria and tested through semi-structured interviews and survey submissions with the UK Web Archive staff members.

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The digital birth of cultural content and conversion of analogue originals into bits and bytes has opened new vistas and extended horizons in every direction, providing access and opportunities for new audiences, enlightenment, entertainment and education in ways unimaginable a mere 15 years ago. Digital libraries have a major function to enhance our appreciation of or engagement with culture and often lead the way in this new digital domain we find ourselves immersed within. The underlying information and communication technologies are still generally referred to as ‘new’ or ‘high’ technologies – they remain highly visible, and have not yet, despite their pervasiveness, become part of the natural infrastructure of society. ‘Technology’, as the computer scientist Bran Ferren memorably defined it, is ‘stuff that doesn't work yet’ (Adams, 1999).

Analyzing large quantities of real‐world textual data has the potential to provide new insights for researchers. However, such data present challenges for both human and computational methods, requiring a diverse range of specialist skills, often shared across a number of individuals. In this paper we use the analysis of a real‐world data set as our case study, and use this exploration as a demonstration of our “insight workflow,” which we present for use and adaptation by other researchers. The data we use are impact case study documents collected as part of the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF), consisting of 6,679 documents and 6.25 million words; the analysis was commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (published as report HEFCE 2015). In our exploration and analysis we used a variety of techniques, ranging from keyword in context and frequency information to more sophisticated methods (topic modeling), with these automated techniques providing an empirical point of entry for in‐depth and intensive human analysis. We present the 60 topics to demonstrate the output of our methods, and illustrate how the variety of analysis techniques can be combined to provide insights. We note potential limitations and propose future work.

Analyzing large quantities of real-world textual data has the potential to provide new insights for researchers. However, such data present challenges for both human and computational methods, requiring a diverse range of specialist skills, often shared across a number of individuals. In this paper we use the analysis of a real-world data set as our case study, and use this exploration as a demonstration of our “insight workflow,” which we present for use and adaptation by other researchers. The data we use are impact case study documents collected as part of the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF), consisting of 6,679 documents and 6.25 million words; the analysis was commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (published as report HEFCE 2015). In our exploration and analysis we used a variety of techniques, ranging from keyword in context and frequency information to more sophisticated methods (topic modeling), with these automated techniques providing an empirical point of entry for in-depth and intensive human analysis. We present the 60 topics to demonstrate the output of our methods, and illustrate how the variety of analysis techniques can be combined to provide insights. We note potential limitations and propose future work.

This paper will demonstrate how to effectively measure the impact of a digital library and how this can enhance strategic planning. Measuring the impact of digital resources and how they affect the various benefitting communities improves evidence-based decision making. This paper will discuss how the recently developed Balanced Value Impact Model measures a digital resource by balancing both internal organizational and external community perspectives with social and economic considerations. This will be illustrated with research case studies from the Wellcome Library digitization programme and Europeana Impact Taskforce. The paper will further suggest means by which thinking about the value chain from activity, through output, to outcomes and impact can enhance strategic planning for digital libraries.

Digital futures: strategies for the information age looks at how librarians and other information workers can develop the means to locate the electronic resources most relevant to the needs of their users, integrate these resources into the infrastructure of their institutions, manage the necessary technology, and anticipate future trends in the digital age. The text is relevant to the needs of libraries and information organizations of all types - educational, public, and corporate. A full bibliography is provided, together with a helpful glossary. This is an indispensable guide for all information managers and archivists needing to keep abreast of developments in communications technologies, manage change in the library environment, and implement new modes and methods of resource management. Others in the information and culture world, such as museum curators, media professionals and web content providers will also find it essential reading, as will students of digital culture on library and information studies and other courses.

This paper introduces an innovative new model for measuring the impact of digital heritage resources - the Balanced Value Impact Model. The Balanced Value Impact Model (BVI Model) brings together into a holistic framework aspects from disparate Impact Assessment (IA) disciplines into a cohesive and logical process. This model balances vital tangible gains from economic, social and innovation perspectives with harder to measure cultural values. The model has found wide acceptance in the targeted communities, and is being adopted and implemented in a number of organizations, in particular, the Europeana Impact Task Force, which Simon Tanner chairs. Recent research into the value and impact of digitized collections has shown that there are clear benefits and value in the activity, but there is also a lack of measures to back up assertions about Impact with significant evidence beyond the anecdotal. The approach we took was to look outside the heritage community and see how Impact is measured in other sectors, where there are well-understood methods and substantial results. We consulted expert practitioners within and outside the cultural sector, including professionals in the health, environment and transport fields. Our focus was upon unifying knowledge from disparate perspectives. The outcome of this cross-disciplinary approach is a new and targeted model of IA for the cultural and heritage sector. The research that led to the BVI Model was funded by the Arcadia Fund in 2012 and developed by Simon Tanner and Marilyn Deegan at the Department of Digital Humanities, King's College London.