I know this may open a can of worms, but have studies been done
establishing the archival permanence (or lack thereof) of CD-ROMs?  I'd
appreciate any references or pointers to discussions in the literature on
whether data stored on CD is safe, and what kind of recopy/reburn rate is
recommended.
 
The apparent advantage of CDs is the ability to duplicate them easily and
at low cost, and essentially combine some of the elements of archival data
storage with the ability to index, search, and disseminate data to a wider
research audience.  Our project does not include sensitive or
restricted-access information, only duplication and storage of field notes,
manuscripts and reports, probably as images (i.e., no current OCR plans).
 
Any help--or advice from folks who've pursued similar projects--would be
appreciated.
 
Alex Barker   [log in to unmask]
Dallas Museum of Natural History