End-to-end digitisation workflows with intelligent document processing for university theses and historical newspapers.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	End-to-end digitisation workflows with intelligent document processing for university theses and historical newspapers.
Authors:	Zimmer, Niklas¹ niklas@fctec.co.za
Source:	Journal of the South African Society of Archivists. 2025, Vol. 58, p94-113. 20p.
Subject Terms:	Academic dissertations, Newspapers, Digitization of archival materials, Data extraction, Data integrity, Digital preservation, Scanning systems, Image quality analysis
Abstract:	Archives and records management are entering an era defined by artificial intelligence, requiring digitisation workflows that are both efficient and contextually appropriate. This study employed a qualitative multiple-case study design to examine two end-to-end digitisation workflows that integrate archival-grade overhead and feed scanners with intelligent document processing (IDP) systems for automated data extraction, validation, and export. The two case studies focused, respectively, on university theses and historical newspapers, enabling a comparative evaluation of workflow efficiency, metadata accuracy, and system interoperability. The study found that each workflow conformed to the international imaging benchmark ISO 19264-1: 2021 -- Photography -- Archiving systems -- Image quality analysis -- Part 1: Reflective originals, ensuring measurable image quality control. A hybrid scanning strategy combining InoTec SCAMAX 6-series and Zeutschel OS A-series scanners was supported by a locally hosted IDP platform, NEURO.AI. The findings demonstrated measurable improvements in metadata accuracy with confidence levels exceeding 90% throughput, and repository interoperability compared to manual indexing. The results confirmed that integrated, intelligent digitisation workflows can substantially improve preservation quality and operational efficiency, offering a scalable, standards-aligned model for digital transformation in African archival and library institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
	Copyright of Journal of the South African Society of Archivists is the property of South African Society of Archivists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Archives and records management are entering an era defined by artificial intelligence, requiring digitisation workflows that are both efficient and contextually appropriate. This study employed a qualitative multiple-case study design to examine two end-to-end digitisation workflows that integrate archival-grade overhead and feed scanners with intelligent document processing (IDP) systems for automated data extraction, validation, and export. The two case studies focused, respectively, on university theses and historical newspapers, enabling a comparative evaluation of workflow efficiency, metadata accuracy, and system interoperability. The study found that each workflow conformed to the international imaging benchmark ISO 19264-1: 2021 -- Photography -- Archiving systems -- Image quality analysis -- Part 1: Reflective originals, ensuring measurable image quality control. A hybrid scanning strategy combining InoTec SCAMAX 6-series and Zeutschel OS A-series scanners was supported by a locally hosted IDP platform, NEURO.AI. The findings demonstrated measurable improvements in metadata accuracy with confidence levels exceeding 90% throughput, and repository interoperability compared to manual indexing. The results confirmed that integrated, intelligent digitisation workflows can substantially improve preservation quality and operational efficiency, offering a scalable, standards-aligned model for digital transformation in African archival and library institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	10122796
DOI:	10.4314/jsasa.v58i1.7