OAIS Reference Model (ISO 14721)
An ISO standard (ISO 14721) describing the functions, responsibilities, and information model an Open Archival Information System needs to preserve digital objects and keep them accessible and understandable to a designated community over the long term.
The OAIS Reference Model (ISO 14721) is a conceptual framework, not a software specification, that defines the vocabulary and functional building blocks for long-term digital preservation. It describes how an archive ingests, stores, manages, preserves, and provides access to information, and it formalizes key concepts such as the Submission Information Package (SIP), Archival Information Package (AIP), and Dissemination Information Package (DIP). It also stresses that preserved content must remain understandable to a defined “designated community,” which means keeping representation information and preservation metadata alongside the bits themselves.
In recordkeeping, OAIS matters because retaining a file is not the same as preserving a record. A 1998 spreadsheet stored as raw bytes may be unreadable in twenty years without format and software context; OAIS forces archives to plan for that. It is a model, not a checklist, so it is often paired with metadata standards like PREMIS for implementation. As agencies move beyond legacy electronic-records criteria, NARA revoked its DoD 5015.2 endorsement in 2022 in favor of the Universal ERM Requirements (FERMI), and OAIS provides the preservation backbone those efforts rely on.