It is an integral part of the data lifecycle[3] and helps to document a digital object’s authenticity while maintaining usability across formats.
[5] Digital materials require constant maintenance and migration to new formats to accommodate evolving technologies and varied user needs.
“While a print book with a broken spine can be easily re-bound, a digital object that has become corrupted or obsolete is often impossible (or prohibitively expensive) to repair”.
[7] Preservation metadata provides the vital information which will make “digital objects self-documenting across time.”[6] Data maintenance is considered a key piece of collections maintenance[8] by ensuring the availability of a resource over time, a concept detailed in the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS).
OAIS is a broad conceptual model which many organizations have followed in developing new preservation metadata element sets[9] and Archival Information Packages (AIP).
[10] The importance of preservation metadata is further indicated by its required inclusion in many Data Management Plans (DMPs) which are often key pieces of applications for grants and government funding.
[12] The differing uses of digital resources across space, time and institutions requires that one object or set of information be accessible in a variety of formats,[13] with the creation of new preservation metadata in each iteration.