Victorian Electronic Records Strategy


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Introduction

Standard
(Version 1)
  Specification 1
  Specification 2
  Specification 3

Standard
(Version 2)
  Specification 1
  Specification 2
  Specification 3
  Specification 4
  Specification 5
  Advice 9
  Advice 10
  Advice 11
  Advice 12
  Advice 13
  Advice 14

Home > Standard > Standard (Version 2) > Advice 10 > Document conversion (Specification1, section 2.3)

3.3 Document conversion (Specification1, section 2.3)

Record content must be converted to one of the standard long-term preservation formats specified in PROS 99/007 Specification 4: VERS Long Term Preservation Formats.

Record content may be converted upon:

export from a recordkeeping system
import into a recordkeeping system
registration into a recordkeeping system.

Conversion upon registration is preferred, as problems with the conversion are more likely to be detectable and correctable. Typical problems with late conversion can include:

password-protected files which can no longer be opened
inaccurate conversion due to 'upgrading' of software (which may include plugins). Inaccurate conversions include changes in appearance of the content (e.g. repagination, changes in fonts, etc.)
failure to convert due to lack of appropriate software (which may include plugins).

For any content which cannot be converted to a standard long-term preservation format, the agency must confer with PROV to determine an appropriate archivable format. The standard long-term preservation formats are given in PROS 99/007 Specification 4: VERS Long Term Preservation Formats.

An agency may elect to capture record content in other formats in addition to the standard long-term preservation formats.

Conformance to this point is achieved by the recordkeeping system vendor demonstrating accurate conversion of record content for all the types of source format handled by the system.

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