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Difficulty: MediumSufficient Assumption

Archivist: Any digital archiving project that utilizes proprietary file formats will eventually require format migration to maintain public accessibility. However, migrating complex digital records across different formats invariably introduces some data degradation. Therefore, no archiving project that maintains perfect record fidelity can utilize proprietary file formats.

The archivist's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?

  1. A
    Maintaining public accessibility is a prerequisite for achieving perfect record fidelity in digital archiving projects.
  2. B
    Any digital archiving project that avoids using proprietary file formats will successfully maintain perfect record fidelity.
  3. Any digital archiving project that introduces data degradation fails to maintain perfect record fidelity.Answer
  4. D
    Format migration is the primary cause of data degradation in projects that utilize proprietary file formats.
  5. E
    Every digital archiving project that maintains public accessibility will inevitably suffer from data degradation.

Answer

The argument's conclusion follows logically if it is assumed that any digital archiving project that introduces data degradation fails to maintain perfect record fidelity.
The premises establish a direct conditional sequence: using proprietary file formats requires format migration, which in turn invariably introduces data degradation. Thus, any project using proprietary file formats will introduce data degradation. The conclusion asserts that no project maintaining perfect record fidelity can use proprietary formats (i.e., maintaining perfect fidelity requires avoiding proprietary formats). The missing link is that introducing data degradation is strictly incompatible with maintaining perfect record fidelity. The statement that any archiving project that introduces data degradation fails to maintain perfect record fidelity provides this exact bridge, making the argument deductively valid.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Isolate the premises and conclusion in the stimulus
Premise 1: Proprietary formats lead to format migration. Premise 2: Format migration introduces data degradation. Chain: Proprietary formats lead to data degradation. Conclusion: Perfect record fidelity requires avoiding proprietary formats (or proprietary formats preclude perfect record fidelity).
Deconstructing the formal conditional statements reveals the exact logical structure of the argument.
2
Identify the inferential gap between the combined premises and the conclusion
The premises establish that proprietary formats cause data degradation, while the conclusion asserts that proprietary formats are incompatible with perfect record fidelity. The missing link must connect 'introducing data degradation' to 'failing to maintain perfect record fidelity'.
A sufficient assumption must close the logical gap completely so that the premises plus the assumption deductively guarantee the conclusion.
3
Select the bridge premise that 100% deductively guarantees the conclusion
Assuming that introducing data degradation guarantees a failure to maintain perfect record fidelity completes the chain: Proprietary formats → Data degradation → No perfect record fidelity.
Taking the contrapositive (Perfect record fidelity → No data degradation → No proprietary formats) proves the conclusion is necessarily true.

Key Concept

Sufficient Assumption in Formal Conditional Logic
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Sufficient Assumption

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