Overview
The Research-in-Practice Working Group drives SPN’s commitment to applied research, producing insights that help clarify the challenges, opportunities, and evolving needs of software preservation. By analyzing the broader landscape of software and digital preservation, the group creates well-documented, publicly accessible resources that support both practical implementation and long-term strategic planning.
Through collaborative research efforts, the group helps practitioners better understand software collections, improve preservation workflows, and make informed decisions grounded in community-validated knowledge. These projects also serve as a form of engagement, inviting participation from across the network and fostering a shared understanding of the field’s most pressing questions.
The Research-in-Practice Working Group supports SPN’s mission by:
- Conducting applied research to inform current practices and drive the development of new approaches to software preservation.
- Producing high-quality, well-cited research that supports advocacy for funding, policy change, and institutional support.
- Identifying knowledge gaps and areas for future research, while collaborating with peer organizations to develop practical guidance for researchers, curators, and archivists.
- Recent and upcoming projects include: 1) Developing an SPN website resource focused on understanding and managing software collections, 2) Partnering with the Data Curation Network and Software Heritage to host a virtual writing sprint in 2025, aimed at creating community guidance on curating, preserving, and providing access to software in research and memory institutions.
How You Might Engage
How You Might Engage with the Research-in-Practice Working Group:
Collaborate on Initiatives: Contribute your expertise to collaborative research projects that address real-world challenges in software preservation.
Bring Research into Practice: Help translate research findings into usable guidance, tools, or frameworks that benefit the broader preservation community.
Support Community Knowledge-Building: Participate in discussions, writing sprints, or synthesis work that deepens the field’s collective understanding.
Identify New Directions: Work with fellow members to shape future research priorities based on emerging needs, questions, or areas of opportunity.
If you’re passionate about turning research into actionable insight and helping define the future of software preservation, the Research-in-Practice Working Group is the place to get involved.
Resources
Supporting Software Preservation Services in Research and Memory Organizations
Abstract Supporting Software Preservation Services in Research and Memory Organizations identifies concepts, skill sets, barriers, and future directions related to software preservation work. Although definitions of “software” can vary across preservation contexts, the study found that there appears to be …Continue Supporting Software Preservation Services in Research and Memory Organizations
Reports, Resources
If you’re passionate about making software preservation more feasible and sustainable through legal and policy work, we encourage you to join the Research-in-Practice Working Group and help shape the future of this critical area.