Longevity as an Information Systems Design Concern

Digital longevity has emerged as a key challenge for information systems in many domains. In this article we explore the hypothesis that longevity is a non-functional quality attribute of information and software artifacts, driven by organizational capabilities and sociotechnical change processes. While software evolution and maintenance have produced a rich body of knowledge on keeping software systems alive after creation, little emphasis has been placed on the underlying factors contributing to the longevity of information systems up-front. We attempt to de ne, motivate and outline the facets of longevity and pose a series of research questions that lead to a research roadmap and open up an interdisciplinary research path on Information Systems Longevity Engineering.