Format Migration
A digital preservation strategy that keeps records usable by periodically converting them to current, well-supported file formats as older formats approach obsolescence.
Format migration is a core digital preservation strategy: keeping records usable by converting them to current, well-supported formats before the older formats become obsolete, and repeating this as technology evolves.
Migration’s strength is that records stay openable with everyday tools; it’s well suited to the bulk of documents and images. Its main risk is loss or change during conversion — formatting, functionality, or subtle fidelity — so migrations must be validated and their effects tracked over successive generations. Migration is often contrasted with emulation, which leaves files unchanged and recreates the original software environment instead. Many programs use both: migrating ordinary records and reserving emulation for complex or interactive objects. Either way, migration is an ongoing commitment, supported by fixity checks and preservation metadata.