FAQ - The EVIA Digital Archive Project

Please browse our Frequently Asked Questions by categories of interest. If you have a question that is not included here, please email us.

For Depositors

  • How can I become a contributor?
  • How does the EVIA Project protect the intellectual property rights of its depositors and their consultants?
  • Why should I deposit my ethnographic video in the EVIA Digital Archive Project?
    Today, many ethnographers use video in their field research, a practice which already has created an invaluable record of cultural images and sounds from many parts of the world. A disadvantage, however, is that videotape has a poor archival life. Magnetic particles dissipate with alarming speed as tape simply sits on a shelf, and playback causes even more rapid deterioration of video and audio signals. While newer digital video formats such as MiniDV offer better resolution than the analog formats, they often have an even briefer archival life (some experts argue that MiniDV tape signals may be unrecoverable after ten years). Adding to the critical nature of the situation, ethnographers tend to keep their video collections either in their homes or offices rather than in archives. This practice not only has serious implications for preservation, but it also makes the majority of ethnographic video data and raw source material unavailable, which negatively impacts relevant scholarly fields.

    Participation in the EVIA Digital Archive Project gives depositors an opportunity to preserve their field video using the latest technologies for digital video preservation and to make their materials accessible to researchers, educators, students, and others who are interested in the relationships of music and culture.
Copyright © 2001-2024 The Trustees of Indiana University | Copyright Complaints. Address comments to eviada@indiana.edu PARTICIPANT LOGIN