Access
Graded Access Levels
AILLA allows finely-grained control over access to the materials in its collection. Graded access levels may be assigned to the entire collection, to specific resources within a collection, or to specific media files within a resource. In general, AILLA encourages all depositors to make their materials publically available on AILLA
Access levels
We recommend that depositors make publicly accessible any materials that are not sensitive by their nature; that is, that are not sacred or dangerous or embarrassing for the speakers. Public access is the best option over the long term for speakers and researchers alike.
Level 1: Public Access. AILLA Users have full access to these materials after creating an account and agreeing to AILLA's Conditions for Use of Archive Resources. For this level, we assume that depositors have already gained permission for public access from the speakers or authors of the resource.
Restricted Access. AILLA has 3 types of restricted access, Levels 2, 3, and 4, described below. All restrictions must be justified. AILLA has the following preprogrammed justifications for restricting access to materials:
- Protected population (e.g., children);
- Required by IRB or other authority;
- Access restricted by speech community;
- Wish of speaker or speaker's family;
- Ceremony, ritual or esoteric language;
- Thesis in progress; Material under copyright;
- Could not obtain informed consent;
- Administrative curation in progress;
- Other reason: please explain (if this option is selected, a text box will appear for the explanation).
All materials with restricted access (levels 2, 3, and 4) are password protected. Users may access recordings only if they know the password that the depositor created and shared with them. Depositors have the option of assigning a visible hint to accompany the password.
Level 2: Curation in progress. This type of restriction is reserved for (1) materials that are under curation (by AILLA, by the depositor, or by the depositor's delegate) and (2) materials that must remain restricted for various reasons that must be justified. Level 2 restricted access must be renegotiated with AILLA every five years. (AILLA will contact the depositor at the appropriate time.) If not renegotiated, access levels will be determined by the archive. For extremely sensitive information that must be guarded indefinitely, the depositor must either (1) establish a succession plan for who will make decisions about the materials after his/her death or (2) reconsider if those materials should even be added to the archive.
Level 3: Temporary embargo. Users may not access the resources until after a specified date. This level allows the depositor to restrict access to resources for a few years, for example while preparing a publication, such as a dissertation, or for the lifetime of a speaker. After the time limit, access changes to public access (Level 1).
Level 4: Controlled access. AILLA will provide contact information and the user must contact the depositor (or some other access "controller") directly for permission to access the resource or file. The controller must ensure that their appropriate contact information is up to date in the AILLA record. If contact information is not up to date and/or the controller does not respond to email from requesters/AILLA users, then determination of permission to access and use the resource/file reverts to the manager of the archive. A depositor must establish a succession plan for who will control the materials after their or the controller's death.
NOTE: All restrictions (particularly Levels 2 and 4) are subject to periodic review by AILLA staff.
Informed consent
Depositors: If you are not the sole creator of the work that you are depositing, you should obtain the informed consent of everyone who participated in creating the materials. This means that you should ask permission of the speakers, authors, performers, translators, and any other people who contributed significantly to these materials. Ask them if they agree to have their work published at AILLA and made available over the Internet, and if access to the work should be restricted. If you are unable to communicate with the other contributors, perhaps because they are deceased, you must use your best judgement in determining the disposition of their works.
