THE USE OF DIGITAL ARCHIVES AS A KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMART SOLUTIONS TO REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS
Keywords:
digital archives, knowledge base, smart solutions, knowledge infrastructure, linked open data, evidence-based policyAbstract
Digital transformation has repositioned archives from static repositories of historical records into active components of knowledge ecosystems that support real-time decision-making and innovation. Yet, many digital archive initiatives remain focused on preservation and access, without fully exploiting archives as structured knowledge bases that can feed analytics, machine learning, and domain-specific applications. This article argues that digital archives, when enriched with consistent metadata, semantic relationships, and open interfaces, constitute knowledge infrastructures capable of underpinning smart solutions to real-world problems in governance, public health, education, and cultural heritage. Using a conceptual qualitative design, the study synthesizes literature from archival science, knowledge management, and intelligent systems to propose a three-layer framework like as foundational archival core, knowledge enrichment and interoperability, and smart applications and solutions. The discussion highlights how digital archives improve administrative efficiency and service quality, function as trusted and interoperable knowledge infrastructures, and enable evidence-based problem-solving through linked open data and AI-augmented retrieval. The article concludes with implications for archivists, librarians, and policymakers in designing digital archives as strategic knowledge assets rather than mere storage systems.
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