Editing Digital preservation (section)

====Format obsolescence====
File format obsolescence can occur when adoption of new encoding formats supersedes use of existing formats, or when associated presentation tools are no longer readily available.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/view/76/44 |title=  Defining File Format Obsolescence: A Risky Journey|date=6 August 2008 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=89–106 |doi=10.2218/ijdc.v3i1.44 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014030726/http://www.ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/view/76/44 |archive-date=2014-10-14 |last1=Pearson |first1=David |last2=Webb |first2=Colin |journal= International Journal of Digital Curation|doi-access=free |hdl=1885/47621 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

While the use of file formats will vary among archival institutions given their capabilities, there is documented acceptance among the field that chosen file formats should be "open, standard, non-proprietary, and well-established" to enable long-term archival use.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web|url=https://siarchives.si.edu/what-we-do/digital-curation/recommended-preservation-formats-electronic-records|title=Recommended Preservation Formats for Electronic Records|last=bradyh|date=2017-04-26|website=Smithsonian Institution Archives|access-date=2019-04-29}}</ref> Factors that should enter consideration when selecting sustainable file formats include disclosure, adoption, transparency, self-documentation, external dependencies, impact of patents, and technical protection mechanisms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/sustain/sustain.shtml |title=Sustainability Factors |work=digitalpreservation.gov |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013230220/http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/sustain/sustain.shtml |archive-date=2014-10-13 }}</ref> Other considerations for selecting sustainable file formats include "format longevity and maturity, adaptation in relevant professional communities, incorporated information standards, and long-term accessibility of any required viewing software".<ref name=":03"/> For example, the [[Smithsonian Institution Archives]] considers uncompressed [[TIFF]]s to be "a good preservation format for born-digital and digitized still images because of its maturity, wide adaptation in various communities, and thorough documentation".<ref name=":03"/>

Formats proprietary to one software vendor are more likely to be affected by format obsolescence. Well-used standards such as [[Unicode]] and [[JPEG]] are more likely to be readable in future.