ISO 20271-2:2026

This document specifies fundamental concepts of the reference model for textual documents and provides guidance to support long-term preservation from the perspectives of its five layers. It defines: the layers that constitute the reference model for textual documents; the types of elements incorporated within textual documents; property types associated with textual documents; classifications of properties by type; and properties inherent to textual documents relevant to long-term preservation. This document does not cover: specific technical methods for checking whether the properties exist within a specific textual document; specific technical methods for analysing particular textual document format (e.g. DOC, DOCX, ODT, TXT, PDF); specific metadata items for the long-term preservation of textual documents; processes, procedures, or management practices related to long-term preservation or records management.