Data archiving is the preservation of data for long-term storage. This process can be complicated by data that was not managed with long-term use and storage in mind. Physical data may suffer from storage availability and physical degradation, but these are also issues for digital data. Even under the best of circumstances and planning, storage solutions sometimes fail and software can become obsolete. Researchers and research data specialists like librarians can anticipate these issues and take steps to avoid data loss.
As described in Johnston (2017), some digital preservation tactics that have been successful include:
- Using open source file formats
- Saving data in multiple file formats
- Saving data in non-proprietary formats
- Creating metadata that follows common standards
- Saving identical data files on diverse devices located in different places
To learn more about data archiving or get assistance, email the UNL Libraries Research Data Team. They have expertise and information on data archiving and curation, including planning for software obsolescence, using open format file formats, documentation, and metadata (the data about your data).