19 June 2026

The Board of CoreTrustSeal formally acknowledges and endorses the important work of Jonas Recker and colleagues in advancing practical approaches to reducing the risks associated with repository cessation and service discontinuity.

In their recent article, “Reducing Risks Associated with Repository Cessation” (published in the International Journal of Digital Curation), the authors address a critical challenge facing the global repository community on which CoreTrustSeal places a strong emphasis: ensuring responsible stewardship of digital assets and minimizing harm to designated communities in the event that a repository must reduce operations, transition ownership, or cease service.

This work is particularly relevant to repositories seeking CoreTrustSeal certification, especially with regard to Requirement R03: Continuity of Service, which asks repositories to demonstrate that they have considered and documented measures to ensure ongoing access to and preservation of holdings in the face of organizational or operational change.

For many repositories – particularly emerging, smaller, or institutionally embedded services – R03 can be among the most challenging requirements to address in a practical and credible way. The framework developed by Recker et al provides a concrete and actionable response to this challenge by translating high-level continuity expectations into implementable planning practices.

The Board also highlights the associated, openly shared Repository Exit Planning Template, as a valuable operational resource for repositories developing or strengthening their continuity and succession plans. The template offers a structured starting point for documenting governance, succession pathways, data transfer options, communication responsibilities, and risk mitigation strategies in the event of service disruption or closure. It is intended to facilitate the collation of information, identification of gaps in the documentation of technical, legal, service, and organizational needs for continued data access, and prioritizing data for handover.

As a community-driven certification body committed to trustworthy and sustainable data stewardship, CoreTrustSeal recognizes that repository continuity is not solely about indefinite operation, but also about responsible planning for change, transition, and – where necessary- orderly closure.

The Board therefore encourages:

  • current CoreTrustSeal-certified repositories to review this framework as part of their ongoing risk management and integrate these best service sustainability practices into their operations;
  • new applicants to consider using the template when preparing evidence for R03 (Continuity of Service);
  • the broader repository and digital preservation community to share feedback and case studies on how these resources have supported their continuity planning, and further develop practical approaches to repository exit planning.

By making repository cessation planning more explicit, transparent, and actionable, this work strengthens the resilience and trustworthiness of the repository ecosystem as a whole.

The CoreTrustSeal Board thanks Jonas Recker, Lisa Pegelow, Alexander Schuster and Reiner Mauer for their significant contribution to the community.

Quote from Olivier Rouchon, Chair of the CoreTrustSeal Board:
“The work by Jonas Recker and his co-authors is a significant step forward in addressing one of the most pressing challenges for data repositories. By providing clear, actionable tools, they empower our community to build resilience and ensure the long-term availability of critical research data. The CoreTrustSeal Board is proud to endorse this initiative and encourages its widespread adoption.”

About CoreTrustSeal
The CoreTrustSeal is a community-based, non-profit organization that provides a core level certification for trustworthy data repositories. Our mission is to enable sustainable and high-quality data infrastructures, ensuring that research data remains accessible and usable over time.

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CoreTrustSeal Secretariat
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