Document management includes records management. Managing records has special requirements. Records management includes the full lifecycle: from record creation or receipt through processing, distribution, organization, and retrieval, to disposition. Records can be physical (e.g., documents, memos, contracts, reports or microfiche); electronic (e.g., email content, attachments, and instant messaging); content on a website; documents on all types of media and hardware; and data captured in databases of all kinds. Hybrid records, such as aperture cards (paper record with a microfiche window imbedded with details or supporting material), combine formats. A Vital Record is type a record required to resume an organization’s operations the event of a disaster.

Trustworthy records are important not only for record keeping but also for regulatory compliance. Having signatures on the record contributes to a record’s integrity. Other integrity actions include verification of the event (i.e., witnessing in real time) and double-checking the information after the event.

Well-prepared records have characteristics such as:

• Content: Content must be accurate, complete and truthful.
• Context: Descriptive information (Metadata) about the record’s creator, date of creation, or relationship to other records should be collected, structured and maintained with the record at the time of record creation.
• Timeliness: A record should be created promptly after the event, action or decision occurs.
• Permanency: Once they are designated as records, records cannot be changed for the legal length of their existence.

• Structure: The appearance and arrangement of a record’s content should be clear. They should be recorded on the correct forms or templates. Content should be legible, terminology should be used consistently.

  Many records exist in both electronic and paper formats. Records Management requires the organization to know which copy (electronic or paper) is the official ‘copy of record’ to meet record keeping obligations. Once the copy of record is determined, the other copy can be safely destroyed.