ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the process of archival retention and disposition of an Israeli government website – the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It shows a system of methodologies and procedures for retention and disposition of records preserved on the website in a government cloud, in accordance with the regulations and guidelines included in the Israel Archives Law (1955) and discusses the improvements needed. The differences between the various records on the website are indicated and compared with administrative records according to their nature and presentation, contents, and use. For this purpose, the authors discuss the use of statistical analysis of visitors’ behaviour on the website in the process of appraisal. In light of these facts, a formula is presented that, among other elements, combines the number of returning visitors to a section of the website with other data. The purpose is to achieve appraisal metrics that would provide the possibility of comparing different sections from the aspect of the users, as well as from the geographical aspect. The chapter shows the results of the research on the use of web analytics of users’ behaviour as a tool for appraisal of website records. Finally, the metadata necessary for appraisal and preservation of entire websites, as well as for their various sections, are recommend.
