Knowra Digital preservation Digital preservation Digital preservation comprises policies, strategies, and practices that keep digital information authentic, accessible, and usable over time despite technological change, media failure, and institutional shifts.
Migration (digital preservation) : The transfer of digital objects to newer formats or systems to preserve access as technology changes. Migration counters format obsolescence by moving content into supported environments.
Digital object : An identifiable unit of digital information, such as a file, dataset, webpage, or compound work. Preservation strategies act on objects whose components and relationships may need to remain intact.
OAIS reference model : An international reference model describing functions and responsibilities for a long-term digital archive. OAIS provides a shared framework for organizing preservation services and responsibilities.
Data backup : The creation of copies of data to restore it after loss, damage, or system failure. Backup restores recent data but does not by itself ensure formats remain usable over decades.
Emulation : The recreation of a computer system’s behavior in software, allowing programs from another environment to run. Emulation can preserve access to digital objects whose original software environments have disappeared.
File format : A specification defining how information is encoded in a digital file. Format dependence makes long-term access vulnerable when software support disappears.
PREMIS : A data dictionary for recording preservation metadata about digital objects, events, agents, and rights. PREMIS makes preservation actions and their outcomes documentable across systems.
Digital curation : The active management of digital data throughout its lifecycle to maintain and add value. Curation includes ongoing selection and enrichment, while preservation centers on durable access and trust.
Fixity : The property of a digital object remaining unchanged, commonly checked by comparing cryptographic checksums. Fixity checks reveal accidental corruption or unauthorized alteration during storage and transfer.
Bit rot : The gradual corruption or loss of digital data through storage degradation, errors, or inadequate maintenance. Preservation must detect and repair changes before corrupted bits undermine usable content.
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