Gestión de los documentos digitales: estrategias para su conservación

The idea of long term preservation of electronic records has been present since the early days of the computer revolution. However, there have been few documented experiences of creating digital archives, mainly due to the difficulty of finding technical solutions to the problems of obsolescence, high costs and a lack of institutions able to assume this responsibility. This paper begins by analysing the preservation strategies applied to date and reflecting upon the methodological underpinnings of these strategies, current trends and future viability. Next it presents two options for identifying electronic records and defining their limits, a necessary step prior to applying any preservation strategy. Finally it describes how archival appraisal can facilitate this identification process and proposes appraisal schedules as the main tools for defining an electronic records preservation policy