Challenges in Long-Term Data Stewardship

The longevity of many data formats is uncertain at best, and more often is disturbingly brief. Maintenance of backwards compatibility of proprietary formats is frustratingly limited. The physical media that store digital data are ephemeral. Even if the data are properly preserved, the information that allows the data to be searched and which maintains the context of the data is often lost, threatening data utility. These are only a few of the formidable problems that threaten the long-term preservation and long-term use of digital data.