title: Occam’s Razor and File Format Endangerment Factors
creators: Heather Ryan
abstract: Much digital preservation research has been built on the assumption that file format obsolescence poses a great risk to the continued access of digital content. In efforts to address this, a number of researchers created lists of factors that could be used to assess risks associated with digital file formats. This research examines these assumptions about file format obsolescence and file format evaluation factors with the aim of creating a simplified file format endangerment index.
  
  This study examines file format risk under a new lens of file format endangerment. Using the Delphi method in two separate studies, this exploratory research collected expert opinion on relevance of a list of factors as causal indicators of file format endangerment.
  
  The findings show that only three of the dozens of file format evaluation factors discussed in the literature exceeded an emergent threshold level as causes of file format endangerment: rendering software available, specifications available, and community/3rd party support. These factors are ideal candidates for use in a file format endangerment index. 
keywords: endangerment file formats formative measurement model obsolescence