Deliverable D3.5: Report on the methodology for paradata creation and the integration of process management notations into its creation

Deliverable D3.5 (21) presents a comprehensive methodology for the creation, management, and integration of paradata within digital cultural heritage workflows. Paradata is defined as the documentation of the processes, decisions, interpretations, and conditions behind data creation, and serves as a critical foundation for transparency, reproducibility, legal accountability, and long‑term usability of digitized heritage assets. While traditional metadata describes what digitized or digital object is, paradata explains how and why it came to be, addressing the growing need for trustworthy, elaborate digital representations in increasingly complex immersive and multi‑modal environments. Developed within the framework of the IMPULSE Project, this deliverable responds to sector‑wide challenges such as standards pluralism, interoperability gaps, inconsistent documentation practices, and the lack of tools for integrating paradata into digitization workflows. Through three cross‑institutional case studies from KU Leuven Libraries (2D and multimodal imaging), Heritage Malta (3D digitization and Memory Twin framework), and the Jagiellonian University (BPMN‑driven process modelling), the document synthesizes existing expertise into a unified, scalable methodology. The proposed solution is structured around a multi‑dimensional, three‑tier paradata model mapped across a five-stage workflow. The deliverable also introduces a mapping between paradata and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), enabling machine‑readable, portable, and execution‑ready documentation that complements existing semantic standards such as CIDOC‑CRM, LIDO, PREMIS, and EDM.