Safeguarding Research & Culture

Overview

Safeguarding Research & Culture (SRC) is a distributed digital preservation initiative building alternative infrastructure for archiving and disseminating cultural heritage and scientific knowledge at risk of loss or deletion. Operating online through its forum and website at safeguar.de, SRC coordinates efforts among individuals and institutions to create redundant, distributed copies of publicly available digital materials — including websites, datasets, and other media — that are being altered, removed, or endangered.

Mission and Approach

SRC operates on the premise that no single archive is permanent or comprehensive enough to protect all at-risk cultural heritage, and that digital information can be quickly copied and redistributed when people act collectively. The organization builds its archive according to the principles of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics), using open technologies and standards, and pursuing meaningfully distributed storage to ensure resilience against loss from any single point of failure.

SRC is particularly focused on publicly available digital-born materials: government websites and databases removed from official servers, scientific datasets, independent research repositories, marginalized community blogs and wikis, and similar materials. The project operates as a collaborative commons, inviting individuals, researchers, and institutions to participate as contributors and supporters.

Context and Recent Activity

SRC gained significant visibility following the removal of federal scientific data and public health information from U.S. government websites in early 2025. The organization coordinated archiving requests for materials from agencies including NOAA, the CDC, and the National Park Service, working with researchers and librarians to document, preserve, and redistribute endangered datasets and web content. The "Save Our Signs" project, documenting changes to National Park Service interpretive signage, is among the community initiatives connected to SRC's broader Data Rescue network.

Access and Participation

SRC maintains a public forum at forum.safeguar.de where participants can request archiving of endangered materials, report threats to datasets, and coordinate preservation actions. The main website at safeguar.de provides mission documentation and participation resources.