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Records Authority
Category: Systems and Technology

Digital Records Conversion (ISO 13008)

Also known as: Digital Records Conversion and Migration, ISO 13008
Simply put

Digital records conversion is the process of changing records from one digital format to another so they remain usable over time. ISO 13008 is an international standard that sets out the planning considerations, requirements, and procedures for carrying out such conversion, as well as the related process of migration between different hardware or software environments. Its purpose is to help organizations keep digital records accessible and reliable as technology changes, though it addresses conversion and migration specifically rather than the full scope of records management.

Formal definition

ISO 13008 is an International Standard that specifies the planning issues, requirements, and procedures for the conversion and/or migration of digital records. Within its scope, conversion generally refers to changing records from one format to another, while migration generally refers to moving records from one hardware or software configuration to another; the standard provides guidance intended to preserve the usability of records through these processes. The standard is limited to the conversion and migration processes themselves and does not, in itself, define the broader lifecycle activities of records management such as classification, retention scheduling, or disposition, nor does it substitute for jurisdiction- or sector-specific legal and regulatory requirements. Practitioners should note that ISO 13008 was first published in 2012, and a subsequent edition appears in the evidence; specific requirements may differ between editions, and organizations should confirm which edition applies to their context.

Why it matters

Digital records face a persistent threat of obsolescence. File formats fall out of support, applications are retired, and hardware platforms are replaced, any of which can leave records unreadable even when the underlying data survives intact. Conversion and migration are the practical responses to this problem, but they are also points of risk: any change to a record's format or environment can, if poorly controlled, compromise the record's authenticity, reliability, integrity, or usability. ISO 13008 matters because it offers a structured basis for planning and executing these processes so that records remain trustworthy evidence of activity through technological change.

Because conversion and migration alter records rather than merely storing them, they are activities where errors can be difficult to detect and costly to reverse. A migration that silently drops metadata, truncates content, or breaks the link between a record and its context can undermine the record's evidential value without any obvious sign of failure. Applying a recognized standard helps organizations demonstrate that such changes were planned, documented, and carried out in a defensible manner, a consideration that can be significant where records must satisfy legal, regulatory, or accountability requirements, though the specific obligations vary by jurisdiction and sector.

It is important to recognize what ISO 13008 does not do. The standard is limited to the conversion and migration processes themselves; it does not define the broader lifecycle activities of records management such as classification, retention scheduling, or disposition, and it does not substitute for jurisdiction- or sector-specific legal and regulatory requirements. Organizations therefore need to position conversion and migration within a wider records management and information governance framework rather than treating adherence to this one standard as sufficient on its own.

Who it's relevant to

Records managers
Those responsible for controlling records across their lifecycle can use ISO 13008 to plan and govern conversion and migration in a defensible way. They should note, however, that the standard addresses these processes specifically and does not cover classification, retention scheduling, or disposition, which must be managed through the wider records management framework.
Digital preservation and archives staff
Archivists and preservation specialists concerned with keeping records accessible over long periods will find the standard relevant when records must be moved between formats or environments to remain usable. It offers structured guidance for maintaining authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability through such changes.
IT and systems migration teams
Technical teams executing platform, application, or storage migrations benefit from the standard's emphasis on planning and procedures, which help ensure that moving records between hardware or software configurations does not inadvertently compromise their evidential value. The standard frames migration as a records concern, not solely a technical one.
Compliance and information governance leads
Those accountable for demonstrating that records remain trustworthy can use adherence to the standard as part of a defensible approach to conversion and migration. They should recognize that ISO 13008 does not substitute for jurisdiction- or sector-specific legal and regulatory requirements, which must be assessed separately depending on the applicable regime.

Inside Digital Records Conversion (ISO 13008)

Conversion
The process of changing records from one format to another, typically to make them usable in a different environment while aiming to preserve their content and, where possible, their essential characteristics. Conversion is distinct from mere copying and often involves a change in the record's representation.
Migration
The process of moving records from one hardware or software configuration, or storage medium, to another, often to counter technological obsolescence. ISO 13008 generally addresses migration alongside conversion because both may affect the record's authenticity and usability and require controlled management.
Preservation of record characteristics
The concern that conversion and migration should maintain the properties that make something a record, such as authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability. Content, structure, and context should be considered, though the degree to which each can be retained often depends on the source and target formats.
Planning and requirements analysis
The identification, before conversion or migration, of what needs to be moved or converted, the acceptable outcomes, and the risks involved. This typically includes assessing the source records, the target environment, and the potential loss of information or functionality.
Testing and quality control
The verification that converted or migrated records meet defined requirements, commonly through sampling, comparison against source records, and checks that essential characteristics have been retained within acceptable tolerances.
Documentation and metadata
The recording of what was done during conversion or migration, including process details, decisions, and any changes to the records, so that the history of the record can be traced and its ongoing authenticity supported.
Scope boundaries of the standard
ISO 13008 is generally framed as guidance on the process of conversion and migration rather than as a mandate for specific formats, tools, or retention outcomes. It does not, in itself, set statutory retention periods, prescribe particular technologies, or determine disposition decisions, which remain governed by organizational policy and applicable law.

Common questions

Answers to the questions practitioners most commonly ask about Digital Records Conversion (ISO 13008).

Is conversion the same thing as migration?
Not exactly, though the terms are often used loosely and sometimes overlap. In the sense addressed by ISO 13008, conversion typically refers to changing a record from one format to another (for example, changing the encoding or file format), while migration typically refers to moving records from one hardware or software environment to another, or across storage systems, over time. Both are strategies for maintaining accessibility and usability of digital records, and a given project may involve elements of each. Because usage varies by organization and context, it is advisable to define which process is meant within your own policies. This distinction concerns process type and does not by itself address the legal admissibility or evidential weight of the resulting records, which depend on jurisdiction and other factors.
Does converting a record automatically preserve its status as an authoritative record?
Not automatically. Conversion changes the format or representation of a record, but the properties that make something an authoritative record, typically authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability, must be actively maintained through the process. If conversion is not controlled and documented, characteristics such as content, structure, or context may be altered or lost, which can undermine the record's evidential value. Guidance in this area generally emphasizes documenting the conversion process so that the relationship between the source and converted record can be demonstrated. Whether a converted record is accepted as authoritative for legal or regulatory purposes depends on jurisdiction, sector, and the adequacy of the controls applied; this is outside the scope of the technical conversion process itself.
What should be documented during a conversion process?
Organizations typically document the conversion so that the process can be understood, repeated where necessary, and defended later. This commonly includes details such as the source and target formats, the tools and settings used, who performed the conversion and when, and any verification or quality checks applied. The aim is generally to support the ongoing authenticity, integrity, and usability of the converted records and to preserve evidence of their provenance. The specific documentation appropriate to your organization depends on organizational policy, risk appetite, and applicable requirements. This general guidance does not prescribe retention periods for such documentation, which depend on jurisdiction and policy.
How can the integrity of converted records be verified?
Verification often involves comparing the converted record against the source to confirm that content, and where relevant structure and context, have been carried across without unintended loss or alteration. Approaches may include sampling, automated comparison, visual inspection, or checks appropriate to the format and the significance of the records. The level of verification applied is typically proportionate to the value and risk associated with the records, as determined by organizational policy. This describes general practice only; it does not guarantee that any particular method will satisfy a specific legal, regulatory, or evidential standard, which varies by jurisdiction and sector.
Should the source records be retained after conversion?
Whether to retain source records after conversion depends on organizational policy, the reliability of the conversion, and any applicable retention or legal requirements, which vary by jurisdiction and sector. In some cases organizations retain the source for a period to allow verification or to address risk; in others the converted record becomes the record kept for the applicable retention period, and the source is dealt with through a controlled disposition decision. Retaining a source is a distinct decision from disposition and from destruction, and it should be governed by documented policy rather than made ad hoc. This general observation does not specify required retention periods, which fall outside its scope.
How does conversion relate to broader disposition and lifecycle decisions?
Conversion is generally one activity within the wider management of records across their lifecycle and should be aligned with classification, retention, and disposition decisions rather than treated in isolation. For example, records approaching the end of their retention period may not warrant conversion, while records identified for long-term or permanent preservation may require particular attention to format sustainability. Disposition here refers to the range of outcomes a record may meet, including transfer, permanent preservation, or destruction, and conversion may support several of these. How these decisions are made and sequenced depends on organizational policy and applicable requirements; the scope of this entry is limited to the conversion activity itself and does not set out those broader policies.

Common misconceptions

Conversion and migration mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably.
They are related but distinct. Conversion typically refers to changing the format or representation of a record, while migration generally refers to moving records between hardware, software, or storage environments. A single project may involve both, but they raise somewhat different risks and require distinct handling. The precise boundary between the two can vary by context.
Following the standard guarantees that a converted record retains full authenticity and every original characteristic.
Conversion and migration can alter or lose aspects of a record's content, structure, context, or functionality. The guidance aims to manage and document these risks and to preserve essential characteristics within acceptable limits, but it does not guarantee a perfect, loss-free outcome. The extent of preservation typically depends on the source and target formats and on the controls applied.
ISO 13008 tells organizations which formats, tools, or retention periods to use.
The standard is generally concerned with the process of conversion and migration rather than mandating specific technologies or outcomes. Decisions about acceptable formats, retention periods, and disposition typically depend on organizational policy, sector requirements, and jurisdiction, and fall outside the scope of the conversion process itself.

Best practices

Before converting or migrating, analyze requirements by identifying which records are in scope, which essential characteristics must be preserved, and the risks of information or functionality loss, recognizing that acceptable outcomes may depend on organizational policy and applicable legal requirements.
Distinguish clearly between conversion (change of format) and migration (change of environment or medium) in project planning, since each may carry different risks to authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability.
Apply testing and quality control, such as comparing converted or migrated records against their sources and using sampling, to verify that essential characteristics have been retained within defined and documented tolerances.
Document the conversion or migration process, including decisions made and any changes to the records, and maintain associated metadata so that the record's history can be traced and its ongoing authenticity supported.
Treat the standard as process guidance rather than a substitute for retention and disposition decisions, and continue to determine format choices, retention periods, and disposition through organizational policy and applicable jurisdictional and sector requirements.
Where the degree of achievable preservation is uncertain or limited by the source or target formats, record those limitations explicitly so that later users understand what may have changed and what falls outside the scope of what was preserved.