The InterPARES 2 Project comprises experts from numerous countries and disciplines and strives to maintain a collaborative research environment, sustained by a rich and productive dialogue. In order to achieve a high level of multicultural and multidisciplinary collaboration, the research has been structured into several intersecting areas of inquiry. The research team responsible for each area is composed of investigators from a variety of disciplines and cultural backgrounds.

Please see below for description of research units represented in the above matrix:

Focuses:
The project is divided into three focuses of inquiry, each addressing records created in the course of one type of activity.

• Focus 1 studies records of artistic activities;

• Focus 2 studies records of scientific activities;

• Focus 3 studies records of governmental activities.

Domains:
Each focus is divided into three domains of inquiry, each addressing a specific set of research questions.

• Domain 1 investigates the nature of the records of the pertinent activity and the process of their creation;

• Domain 2 studies the concepts of reliability, accuracy and authenticity, as they are understood in the context of the disciplines encompassed by the specific focus;

• Domain 3 tests existing and proposed appraisal and preservation methods on specific instances of the records in question, and develops new methods where needed.

Cross-domains:
Four cross-domains address research questions common to all areas of inquiry:

• The Terminology Cross-domain controls the use of terms and related definitions in all areas of the research, to ensure consistency among research units.

• The Policy Cross-domain analyzes existing policies, strategies and guidelines for the creation, maintenance and preservation of digital records and develops new ones as needed.

• The Description Cross-domain examines existing descriptive schemas in each discipline involved in the project, and develops new ones capable of supporting the creation, maintenance and long-term preservation of accurate, reliable and authentic digital records.

• The Modeling Cross-domain articulates the functions, information and resources involved in the creation, maintenance and preservation of accurate, reliable and authentic digital records, and supports the representation and analysis of the case studies results.

Overview of the Intellectual Framework