The management of digital formats: a key skill

Digital formats codify and structure information of varied morphology in binary language. Each format, however, is designed for a specific purpose, so knowing their technical properties is vital. The choice of an inadequate format or a poor approach to metadata management can lead to the irreversible loss of information. Based on this premise, this paper presents file format management as a core competence of information professionals. This skill involves, among other tasks, determining which format is suitable for each usage scenario and making well-grounded decisions regarding metadata, file naming conventions and the structure of digital collections.