Category: E-Discovery and Legal Holds

Preservation

Also known as: digital preservation, long-term preservation

Simply put

Preservation is the set of ongoing activities aimed at keeping something valued safe, intact, and free from damage, decay, or loss over time. In records and information work, it refers to the deliberate effort to ensure that records remain accessible and usable for as long as they are needed, which in some cases may be permanently. It is concerned with protecting content against physical deterioration, technological obsolescence, and other threats to continued survival.

Formal definition

In recordkeeping, preservation denotes the sustained processes and measures undertaken to maintain the authenticity, integrity, usability, and continued accessibility of records over time, protecting them against physical, chemical, environmental, and technological threats. It is an ongoing custodial and technical function rather than a single event, and applies whether records are held for the duration of a retention period or maintained permanently as archival holdings. Preservation should be distinguished from disposition, which is the range of decisions and actions applied to records at the end of an active retention period; while permanent preservation may be a chosen disposition outcome, preservation itself is the set of activities that keep records intact and available for as long as they are retained, and not a dispositional choice in its own right. For digital records, preservation typically encompasses techniques intended to counter format and media obsolescence and to sustain readability and reliable rendering over the long term, though specific approaches depend on organizational policy, resources, and the nature of the records concerned.

Why it matters

Records typically retain their value only for as long as they remain accessible, readable, and trustworthy. Preservation matters because the passage of time introduces threats that can quietly erode this value: paper and other physical media deteriorate, storage environments degrade content, and the software, file formats, and hardware needed to render digital records fall out of use. Without deliberate and sustained effort, records that an organization is obliged or intends to keep may become unusable long before the end of their required retention, undermining their capacity to serve as reliable evidence of activity.

Preservation is also closely tied to the qualities that distinguish an authoritative record from mere information. Maintaining authenticity, integrity, and usability over time is not automatic; it depends on ongoing custodial and technical measures rather than a one-off action at the point of capture. This is particularly acute for digital records, where format and media obsolescence can render content inaccessible even when the underlying data survives intact. The specific approaches an organization adopts typically depend on its policy, resources, and the nature of the records concerned.

It is worth emphasizing that preservation is distinct from disposition. Disposition covers the decisions and actions applied to records at the end of an active retention period, which may include destruction, transfer, or a decision to retain records permanently. Preservation, by contrast, is the set of activities that keeps records intact and available for as long as they are retained, whether that period is fixed or permanent. Where permanent retention has been chosen, preservation is the ongoing work that sustains those records, but preservation is not itself a dispositional choice.

Who it's relevant to

Records managers

Records managers are typically responsible for ensuring that records remain accessible and usable across their retained life, coordinating the ongoing measures that protect content against deterioration and obsolescence, and keeping preservation distinct from disposition decisions made at the end of active retention.

Archivists

Archivists are concerned with records maintained permanently as archival holdings, where sustained preservation is central to keeping content intact, authentic, and available over the long term.

Digital preservation specialists

Those focused on digital records address the particular challenge of format and media obsolescence, applying techniques intended to sustain readability and reliable rendering over time, with approaches shaped by organizational policy and resources.

Information governance officers

Information governance officers set the policy framework within which preservation operates, balancing the effort and resources devoted to keeping records intact against retention requirements and the value the records hold to the organization.

Inside Preservation

Preservation intent

The purposeful set of actions aimed at maintaining records so that they remain accessible and usable over time. Preservation is an ongoing custodial function rather than a single disposition outcome; it may apply to records selected for permanent retention as well as to records held for extended periods, but it is distinct from the disposition decision itself.

Authenticity

The property that a record is what it purports to be, created or sent by the person purported, and at the time purported. Preservation activities seek to protect authenticity so that a record can continue to serve as reliable evidence of the activity it documents.

Integrity

The completeness and unaltered state of a record over time. Preservation typically involves controls that detect or prevent unauthorized change, so that any permitted alterations are documented and the record's evidential value is not undermined.

Usability and accessibility

The capacity to locate, retrieve, present, and interpret a record for as long as it is required. Preservation addresses obsolescence of formats, media, and supporting technology so that records remain renderable and intelligible.

Reliability

The extent to which a record can be trusted as a full and accurate representation of the transaction or activity it attests. Preservation supports reliability by maintaining the record together with the metadata and context needed to understand it.

Contextual metadata

The information about a record's content, structure, provenance, and management history that must be retained alongside it. Preserving this metadata is often essential to sustaining authenticity, integrity, and usability over the required period.

Common questions

Answers to the questions practitioners most commonly ask about Preservation.

Is preservation the same as a disposition outcome like retention or archiving?

Not precisely. Preservation refers to the active set of activities that maintain the authenticity, integrity, and usability of records over time, whereas disposition decisions determine what happens to records at the end of their retention period, such as transfer, permanent retention, or destruction. Preservation may support a disposition outcome that calls for permanent or long-term retention, but preservation itself is an ongoing activity rather than a single dispositional choice. Treating preservation as simply a box on a disposition schedule tends to obscure the continuing work needed to keep records accessible and trustworthy.

Does preservation just mean keeping records for legal hold or e-discovery purposes?

No. Preservation in the recordkeeping sense concerns maintaining the properties that make records reliable evidence over time, independent of any particular litigation context. The suspension of destruction for legal or investigatory reasons is a distinct concept, often handled through holds, and depends on jurisdiction and sector. While the two can intersect when records subject to a hold must remain accessible, preservation as defined here is a lifecycle activity focused on authenticity, integrity, and usability, not a discovery or litigation procedure.

What properties should a preservation approach aim to protect?

A preservation approach typically aims to protect authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability, so that a record remains what it purports to be, can be trusted as evidence of the activity it documents, is complete and unaltered in ways that can be demonstrated, and can be located, retrieved, and interpreted over time. The relative emphasis often depends on organizational policy, the value of the records, and the length of time they must remain accessible.

How does preservation differ for digital records compared with physical records?

Digital records generally require attention to format obsolescence, media degradation, and the software and hardware needed to render them, which may call for strategies such as migration or, in some settings, emulation. Physical records typically require attention to storage conditions and handling. In both cases the goal is to sustain authenticity, integrity, and usability, but the specific interventions differ, and organizations often maintain distinct procedures depending on the media involved.

When should preservation activities begin in the records lifecycle?

Preservation considerations are often most effective when addressed early, from creation and capture, rather than deferred to a later stage. Decisions made at capture, such as format choices and the recording of contextual metadata, can materially affect whether a record can be preserved reliably over time. That said, the intensity of preservation effort typically increases for records identified as having long-term or permanent value, and the timing may vary depending on organizational policy.

What role does metadata play in preservation?

Metadata generally supports preservation by documenting a record's context, structure, and history, which helps demonstrate authenticity and integrity and supports continued usability. Information about provenance, format, and any preservation actions taken, such as migrations, can be important for maintaining trust in the record over time. The specific metadata captured and retained often depends on organizational policy and the requirements of relevant standards.

Common misconceptions

Preservation is simply one of the outcomes chosen at disposition, alongside destruction or transfer.

Disposition is the point at which a decision is made about a record's fate, such as destruction, transfer, or continued retention. Preservation is the ongoing custodial activity of keeping records authentic, reliable, and usable; it is a maintenance function that operates across the lifecycle rather than a single dispositional choice. Records may require active preservation well before any disposition decision is reached.

Preservation and archiving mean the same thing.

Archiving commonly refers to the transfer or holding of records selected for long-term or permanent keeping, while preservation refers to the range of actions that keep records accessible and usable over time. Records held in an archive typically require preservation, but preservation activity is not confined to archived material and can apply to records still in active or semi-active use, depending on organizational policy.

Once a record is stored, it is preserved.

Storage alone does not ensure continued authenticity, integrity, or usability. Formats, media, and supporting systems can become obsolete or degrade, so preservation typically involves deliberate, ongoing intervention such as monitoring, format management, and integrity checking rather than passive retention on a shelf or server.

Best practices

Treat preservation as a continuing custodial function distinct from disposition decisions, and plan preservation actions for records that must remain usable for extended or permanent periods.

Preserve records together with the contextual metadata that supports their authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability, so that they remain interpretable over time.

Monitor for format, media, and technology obsolescence that could compromise accessibility, and take timely action to keep records renderable.

Implement controls that protect integrity and detect unauthorized alteration, documenting any permitted changes to maintain evidential value.

Distinguish preservation activity from archiving in policy and workflow, recognizing that records may require preservation while still in active or semi-active use, depending on organizational policy.

Align preservation periods and methods with retention requirements, noting that these obligations vary by jurisdiction and sector and should be verified against applicable rules.