diff --git a/nmdc_schema/migrators/migrator_from_PR176_to_PR104.py b/nmdc_schema/migrators/migrator_from_PR176_to_PR104.py
index 74ad3a5d4a..bd8c3e69bb 100644
--- a/nmdc_schema/migrators/migrator_from_PR176_to_PR104.py
+++ b/nmdc_schema/migrators/migrator_from_PR176_to_PR104.py
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 class Migrator(MigratorBase):
     r"""
     Migrates a database between two schemas.
-
-    This migrator removes fields from documents of type `nmdc:MassSpectrometry` in the `data_generation_set` collection.
     """
 
     _from_version = "PR176"
@@ -13,7 +11,8 @@ class Migrator(MigratorBase):
 
     def upgrade(self) -> None:
         r"""
-        Migrates the database from conforming to the original schema, to conforming to the new schema.
+        Deletes specific fields from documents (whose `type` is `nmdc:MassSpectrometry`) residing in
+        the `data_generation_set` collection.
         """
 
         self.adapter.process_each_document(
@@ -24,11 +23,11 @@ def upgrade(self) -> None:
     @staticmethod
     def delete_obsolete_fields(data_generation: dict) -> dict:
         r"""
-        Deletes fields from the specified document of type `nmdc:MassSpectrometry`.
+        Deletes specific fields from a document representing a `DataGeneration` instance.
 
-        If the document is not of type `nmdc:MassSpectrometry`, this function will not modify the document.
-        If the field exists and is empty, this function will delete the field.
-        If the field exists and is not empty, this function will raise an exception.
+        If the document's `type` is not `nmdc:MassSpectrometry`, this function will not modify the document.
+        If a target field exists and is empty, this function will delete the field. On the other hand, if a target
+        field exists and is not empty, this function will not delete the field and will, instead, raise an exception.
 
         >>> m = Migrator()
         >>> m.delete_obsolete_fields({'id': 123, 'type': 'nmdc:MassSpectrometry'})  # no obsolete fields exist
@@ -52,12 +51,12 @@ def delete_obsolete_fields(data_generation: dict) -> dict:
         ...                           'ncbi_project_name': 'a'})  # single-valued, is not empty
         Traceback (most recent call last):
         ...
-        ValueError: Field "ncbi_project_name" in document "123" is not empty (has value "a").
+        ValueError: Field "ncbi_project_name" in document "123" is not empty (contains value "a").
         >>> m.delete_obsolete_fields({'id': 123, 'type': 'nmdc:MassSpectrometry',
         ...                           'gold_sequencing_project_identifiers': ['a']})  # multivalued, is not empty
         Traceback (most recent call last):
         ...
-        ValueError: Field "gold_sequencing_project_identifiers" in document "123" is not empty (has value "['a']").
+        ValueError: Field "gold_sequencing_project_identifiers" in document "123" is not empty (contains value "['a']").
         >>> m.delete_obsolete_fields({'id': 123, 'type': 'nmdc:MassSpectrometry',
         ...                           'ncbi_project_name': None,
         ...                           'target_gene': '',
@@ -68,44 +67,45 @@ def delete_obsolete_fields(data_generation: dict) -> dict:
         {'id': 123, 'type': 'nmdc:MassSpectrometry'}
         """
 
-        # If this document is not of type "nmdc:MassSpectrometry", return the document as-is (i.e. no changes).
+        # If this document's `type` is not "nmdc:MassSpectrometry", leave the document as-is.
         if data_generation["type"] != "nmdc:MassSpectrometry":
             return data_generation
 
-        # Emptiness is represented by: None or ""
+        # List the names of the single-valued fields we want to delete.
+        # Note: Their emptiness is represented by `None` or `""`.
         single_valued_fields_to_delete = [
             "ncbi_project_name",
             "target_gene",
             "target_subfragment",
         ]
 
-        # Emptiness is represented by: None or []
+        # List the names of the multivalued fields we want to delete.
+        # Note: Their emptiness is represented by `None` or `[]`.
         multi_valued_fields_to_delete = [
             "gold_sequencing_project_identifiers",
             "insdc_bioproject_identifiers",
             "insdc_experiment_identifiers",
         ]
 
-        for field_name in (
-            single_valued_fields_to_delete + multi_valued_fields_to_delete
-        ):
+        # Combine the two lists.
+        field_names = single_valued_fields_to_delete + multi_valued_fields_to_delete
+
+        for field_name in field_names:
             # Check whether the field exists.
             if field_name in data_generation:
-                document_id = data_generation["id"]
                 value = data_generation[field_name]
 
                 # Check whether the field is empty (using emptiness criteria appropriate for the field).
                 if (
-                    field_name in single_valued_fields_to_delete
-                    and value not in [None, ""]
+                    field_name in single_valued_fields_to_delete and value in [None, ""]
                 ) or (
-                    field_name in multi_valued_fields_to_delete
-                    and value not in [None, []]
+                    field_name in multi_valued_fields_to_delete and value in [None, []]
                 ):
+                    del data_generation[field_name]
+                else:
+                    document_id = data_generation["id"]
                     raise ValueError(
-                        f'Field "{field_name}" in document "{document_id}" is not empty (has value "{value}").'
+                        f'Field "{field_name}" in document "{document_id}" is not empty (contains value "{value}").'
                     )
-                else:
-                    data_generation.pop(field_name)
 
         return data_generation