RK&M GLOSSARY

Commentary: With this definition, the creation of information (e.g. by organising data) requires human activity, but the preservation of information does not. For example, a marker preserves information, independently of the presence of intermediaries.

Knowledge

The result of learning processes. Once acquired in a particular field, knowledge provides insights and skills. It results in the ability to understand, interpret and use the relevant data, information and records.

Composite expressions

Knowledge preservation: Preservation of knowledge, in a particular field is about maintaining or creating learning processes in that field. An example over the medium term would be the funding of a university chair; another example over the medium term would be facilitating the passing of skills from one generation to another.

Knowledge reconstruction: Over the long term, knowledge will inevitably be diluted as interest fades. Tools/opportunities then need to be devised for knowledge reconstruction. For instance, the Rosetta Stone proved to be a vital tool for reconstructing the knowledge of the ancient Egyptian language.

Regaining knowledge: Since media that are meant to support knowledge (e.g. books, records, instructions) are not understood as “knowledge” in this report (no matter whether they have been written with the intention to codify somebody’s knowledge therein) the term “knowledge preservation” is not used to describe the process of record preservation. However, preservation of records may be understood as preserving the possibility to regain knowledge (through studying the preserved media).

Long term

This term refers to the period of time in the post-operational repository phase when oversight has been lost. The long term extends over the whole period over which, according to the safety regulations, safety must be demonstrated, typically hundreds of thousands of years in the case of high-level waste. (See also “short term”, “medium term” and “oversight”.)

Marker

A long-lasting object that indicates an area of influence, power or danger. It is placed strategically at or near the site for immediate recognition or for discovery at a later time.

Commentary: A marker is an object meant to reach out to future generations in the medium to long term. Any marker is conceived to be immobile (i.e. in permanent association with a site), robust, in order to maximise survivability on its own, and to provide messages designed to be understandable across generations.

Mediated/non-mediated transmission

Mediated transmission: The message or record is passed on from one generation to another.

Non-mediated transmission: The message or record is sent directly (and in its original format) from the present time to the future receiver.

Commentary: In mediated transmission, each generation may undertake steps that affect the continuity of readability (legibility and language) and understandability (comprehension and context). Non-mediated transmission places no reliance on the presence of intermediaries. It is recognised that these two “tracks” of transmission may address different target audiences, convey different levels of detail and use different technical means to achieve survivability.

RK&M GLOSSARY

Medium term

This term refers to the period of time of indirect oversight activities that would follow repository closure. Timescales are typically in the order of a few hundred years. (See also “short term”, “long term” and “oversight”.)

Memory

The awareness of events, people, places and levels of knowledge in the past.

Message

A significant point that is conveyed in concise form.

Monument

A visible and complex type of marker, i.e., a large building or an ensemble of structures. A monument may consist of several visible and less visible markers, e.g. in order to encircle an area. Like a marker, a monument may bear a message, e.g. in the form of inscriptions, or be the message itself. (See also “marker”.)

Oversight

“Oversight is a general term for ‘watchful care’ and refers to society ‘keeping an eye’ on the technical system and the actual implementation of plans and decisions.” (ICRP, 2013)

Commentary: Oversight is the reference concept promoted by the ICRP for reconciling geological disposal with fundamental principles of radiological protection (see Section 2.1 for details).

Record

A usually unique and original object or a selected piece of data/information that has been committed to a medium (analogue or digital) and that is kept, together with the appropriate context and structure, for later use.

Commentary: In the vast majority of cases, records will be documents. But also other original objects can be considered records. Generally, records should be pieces of evidence of (past) activities. Another aspect to distinguish records from other objects is that records should be, in principle, suitable for archiving, so that markers, monuments, etc. are not regarded as records. Usually, records are the entity of the medium and the information on it (e.g. a folder, a CD). In case of electronic files, however, one may still consider them “records” even if there is no original “medium” (e.g. if stored in a IT “cloud”).

Redundancy

In the context of a RK&M preservation strategy, “redundancy” means that some elements of the strategy can be degraded or lost without substantial damage to its overall RK&M preservation capacity (based on Trauth et al., 1993: p. F-33).

RK&M GLOSSARY

Short term

This term refers to the period of time that ends with repository closure. This period includes both the pre-operational and the operational phases of the repository. Timescales are in the order of 100 years. (See also “very short term”, “medium term” and “long term”.)

Stakeholder

Any actor (institution, group or individual) with an interest, concern or role to play in the radioactive waste management related RK&M preservation process.

Systemic strategy

An RK&M preservation strategy whose components offer a variety of RK&M transmission mechanisms that are integrated with one another or that complement one another, act as indexes to each other, and provide for diversity and redundancy, with a view to maximising information accessibility, understandability and survivability over the timescales considered.

Commentary: A dual-track strategy – providing mechanisms for both mediated and nonmediated transmission of information – is part of a systemic strategy.

Very short term

A period of time consistent with staff stability in role, cycles of organisational change and regulatory expectations of periodic safety reviews. Typical timescales are 10 to 20 years. (See also “short term”.)

References

ICRP (2013), Radiological Protection in Geological Disposal of Long-Lived Solid Radioactive Waste, ICRP Publication 122, Annals of the ICRP, Vol. 42/3, pp. 1-57.

Trauth, K.M., S.C. Hora and R.V. Guzowski (1993), Expert Judgement on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, SAND92-1382 l UC-721, prepared by Sandia National Laboratories for the US Department of Energy, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Livermore.