What is a "digital object"?

A digital object is defined as an entity that is created and exists in a digital format. This includes a wide range of items, such as documents, images, videos, and data sets that are stored, transmitted, and manipulated using digital technology. The emphasis is on its existence in a digital realm, which means it is not limited to just software or physical representations but is instead intrinsically digital in nature.

The other options do not adequately capture the full essence of a digital object. For instance, stating that a digital object is merely any physical representation of data overlooks that digital objects fundamentally exist in a non-physical state, entirely in the digital environment. Additionally, referring to it as a digital format created for software implies a too narrow purpose and doesn't consider the broader spectrum of content that can qualify as a digital object. Lastly, defining it as a collection of multiple data types mischaracterizes a digital object as being exclusively a multifaceted dataset rather than an individual entity that can represent a single type of data or an entire collection formed within the digital domain.