Examples of Archive Systems CD-ROMs. Standard media which are likely to be readable on future systems. They cannot be erased by magnetic fields and are tolerant of dust. However, damage can occur by severe scratching, and the incorrect use of CD writing software. If the data lends itself to being printed on paper, this is a reliable method if stored correctly.
Paper takes up a lot of space, is likely to deteriorate and can be damaged by water and fire.
Further editing by computer is most inconvenient, requiring scanning and proof reading of the scanned results. The University's HFS system can archive data as well as providing for backup, but special permission needs to be granted. Especially effective if the systems are different and stored in different places. The danger is that all the systems may fail over time. The fundamental 'backup' is frequent saving .