Gilbert, Johnson Sennah2015-09-032015-09-032014-09-01http://hdl.handle.net/10539/18446This research report explores the application of an open source model for African folklore in a digital realm, and the advantages and disadvantages associated with the open source model. The investigation considers possibilities for collecting, archiving and digitising folklore, which would assist in its preservation, and how this could be accessed and shared with the world on an open source platform. The research explains folklore as a form of oral tradition and explores the open source model and how it works. The research made use of two case studies. The first case study was used to explain the method and processes in collecting folklore for documentation. The second case study was used to show how traditional folklore objects or materials are transformed into digital content, archived and shared on an open access framework which serves both to preserve folklore and to make it publicly available. This research report made use of a “desktop research” methodology. Information was gathered through extensive searches of published article, journals and books. Substantial and prolonged engagement with the websites and databases for the two case studies was entered into, and a synthesis of these resources assisted in forming the overall argument of the paper. This research report argues that an open source model for disseminating digitised African folklore provides the best option however certain considerations need to be carefully elucidated. Finally, the report makes recommendations for the process of collecting and digitising specifically African folklore.enThesis