What is the main purpose of normalization in digital archiving?

Normalization in digital archiving serves the primary purpose of converting all digital objects of a specific type into a single format. This process is crucial for achieving interoperability and consistency across various digital files, which may originate from diverse sources and come in different formats. By standardizing the format, normalization makes it easier to manage, access, and preserve digital resources over time, ensuring that they can be utilized effectively regardless of their original format.

The advantages of normalization include the ability to maintain the integrity of data while enhancing its usability and accessibility. This is especially important in digital preservation, where ensuring that files remain accessible long into the future is a fundamental concern. A unified format allows for streamlined workflows, easier digital asset management, and better compatibility with various systems and software used in storage and retrieval operations.

Additionally, the other options do not encompass the primary focus of normalization. While ensuring high quality, facilitating access, and reducing file sizes are all valuable aspects of digital archiving, they do not capture the specific function of standardizing formats, which is the essence of normalization.