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Every DMS record must declare how it can be used and who can access it. The rights object captures this in three fields: license, access_level, and holder. Getting these right protects community members, respects cultural sensitivity, and ensures the archive is used appropriately.

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Access levels

The access_level field controls who can view a record. There are three levels.

public

Safe for anyone to view. No sensitive personal information, no cultural restrictions. Use this for most records where consent has been obtained.

restricted

Contains personal data or sensitive content. Requires explicit permission to access. Use this for records involving identifiable individuals or private matters.

community-only

Sacred, private, or culturally sensitive material intended only for Dzaleka community members. Use this for items that community members have indicated should not be shared publicly.

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When to use each level

ScenarioAccess level
A photograph of a public community eventpublic
An oral history where the narrator consented to open sharingpublic
A record containing a person’s full name, address, or ID numberrestricted
An interview where the narrator requested limited distributionrestricted
A sacred ceremony recordingcommunity-only
Culturally sensitive knowledge shared within the communitycommunity-only
When you are unsure whether a record is appropriate for public access, default to restricted rather than public. It is always easier to open access later than to retract material that should not have been shared.

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License selection guide

The license field uses SPDX identifiers. The four licenses below cover the vast majority of heritage material in Dzaleka.
LicenseMeaningWhen to use
CC-BY-4.0Share and adapt freely; attribution requiredMaterial the rights holder wants to share as openly as possible
CC-BY-NC-4.0Share and adapt; attribution required; no commercial useCommunity heritage where commercial exploitation should be prevented
CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0Share only as-is; no modifications; no commercial useMaterial the rights holder does not want altered in any form
CC0-1.0No rights reserved; public domain dedicationMaterial where the rights holder waives all copyright
When in doubt, use CC-BY-NC-4.0. It protects the community’s rights by preventing commercial exploitation while still allowing researchers, educators, and community members to share and build on the material with attribution.

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The rights field

The full rights object in JSON looks like this: 
"rights": {
  "license": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "access_level": "public",
  "holder": "Marie Consolée"
}
All three fields are independent. A record can be public (anyone can see it) but under CC-BY-NC-4.0 (no commercial use). A record can be restricted (requires permission) with CC-BY-4.0 (open license once access is granted).

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Credits and attribution

The holder field names the rights holder — the person or organisation who owns the copyright. This is usually the creator. For oral histories it is typically the narrator. For photographs it is typically the photographer. Always list creator(s) in the creator array with their accurate roles. This is how the archive attributes work to the people who made it. 
"creator": [
  {
    "name": "Marie Consolée",
    "role": "narrator"
  },
  {
    "name": "Jean-Baptiste Mushimiyimana",
    "role": "interviewer",
    "affiliation": "Dzaleka Digital Heritage Project"
  }
]
Valid creator roles include: author, photographer, interviewer, interviewee, narrator, artist, muralist, sculptor, poet, curator, recorder, editor, translator, organizer, contributor.
Never omit creators or list only an organisation when an individual person did the work. Individual attribution is both an ethical obligation and a condition of the Creative Commons licenses.

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Key considerations

Get consent. Always obtain consent from people featured in stories, photographs, or recordings before adding a record to the archive. Consent should cover both the use of the material and the access level you intend to set.
Protect privacy. Do not include personal identifiers — full addresses, ID numbers, phone numbers, or other identifying details — in records set to public access. Move sensitive identifying information out of public fields or set the record to restricted.
Respect cultural sensitivity. Some heritage items carry cultural or spiritual significance that makes public sharing inappropriate. Consult with community members before assigning a public access level to ceremonial, sacred, or otherwise sensitive material.

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Common questions

If the original rights holder cannot be identified or contacted, do not assign a permissive license like CC-BY-4.0 or CC0-1.0 — those require the rights holder’s consent to grant.Instead:
  1. Set access_level to restricted.
  2. Leave license blank or note "rights undetermined" in the holder field.
  3. Record what you know about the item’s provenance in the source object, including who contributed it and from what collection.
  4. Review the record again if the rights holder is later identified.
Restricted access with documented provenance is the correct approach for orphaned works. It keeps the material in the archive without misrepresenting the rights situation.
Yes. Access levels are stored as metadata and can be updated at any time using dms edit. If a narrator who originally requested restricted access later consents to public access, update the access_level field and record the change in the date.modified field.
Both licenses prohibit commercial use. The difference is in modifications:
  • CC-BY-NC-4.0 allows others to remix, adapt, and build on the material, as long as they credit the creator and do not use it commercially.
  • CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0 adds a no-derivatives condition: others may share the material as-is, but may not modify or adapt it in any way.
Use CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0 when the rights holder wants to prevent translations, edits, or remixes of their original work.