information about metadata is beyond the scope of these Guidelines.

As a principle, managers
of preservation programmes should make themselves aware of standardised metadata schemes
that are widely used in their sector of interest, and adopt those that will best meet their needs.
They should also pay attention to the evolution of metadata standards by various international
communities interested in managing digital resources.

TECHNICAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES

14.13 Initiating data transfer
The reproducibility of digital materials means that transfer no longer requires removal
of the material from one site in order to move it to another. Perfectly authentic copies
can be transferred for preservation while live copies remain with the creator
The timing of transfer may be critical. Even though material may have been selected
for preservation, selection of itself does nothing to slow down processes like media
deterioration or obsolescence of technology. Transfer needs to happen quickly enough
to pre-empt these threats
The transfer process may need to include, in addition to the selected files:
Transfer of documentation (including packaging for published physical format
carriers such as CDs and diskettes), data rules, and information about provenance
and original context
Transfer of existing metadata
Information about rights including any licence agreements
Information about the means of providing access, and possibly the means
themselves - any special software and even hardware that is needed for current
access.

14.14 Specifying media and file formats

There is no standard way of effecting the physical transfer of digital materials. Data can be
transferred on a wide range of physical carriers such as various forms of diskettes, CDs, tapes,
cartridges, and disk drives; or through communication networks using means such as email
attachments, file transfer protocol (FTP), and downloading from Web sites. The choice of
transfer media depends on the needs of the parties involved.

Whatever means are chosen, the data must remain secure. Some transfer environments may
present particular risks for specific media; for example, physical carriers may be easily lost or
stolen, while communication networks may be unreliable and it may be safer to hand deliver a
physical carrier.

The transfer medium must allow the data to be loaded and retrieved. When both sender and
receiver use the same technologies, transfer should be relatively straightforward. When
technologies are mismatched, one or both parties will need to bear the cost of using different
technologies.

Preservation programmes may have facilities to handle a wide range of media, or their

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