Records Management terms starting with F

50 terms

facsimile An electronic means for transmitting an exact reproduction of an image using communications lines Also referred to as fax.
facsimile transmission The electronic transmission by wire of document images for reproduction at remote locations having compatible equipment.
FAX Short for facsimile. A process of transmitting documents by scanning them to digital, converting to analog, transmitting over phone lines and reversing…
field Field A region of space at each point of which a given physical or mathematical quantity has some definite value.
file To place a paper in the official custody of the clerk of court/court administrator to enter into the files or records of a case.
file break Termination of a file at regular periodic intervals to facilitate continuous disposal or transfer of the file series.
file classification system A logical and systematic arrangement for classifying records into subject groups or categories based on some definite scheme of natural relationships…
File Conversion Changing data or a file from one format to another. For example, Native files may be converted from their original source format (e.g.
file guide A separation device that denotes a section of a file and directs the user to that section quickly See also finding aid and guide.
file integrity Being accurate, complete, and in original order Being free of corruption
file maintenance activity of preserving the integrity and/or maintaining the currency of a file by reviewing, deleting duplicates, and/or adding information
file name The name given to a group or series of related documents contained in a physical file folder A specific electronic document or record name
file plan A classification scheme describing different types of files maintained in an office, how they are identified, where they should be stored, how they should…
file recovery restoration of electronic documents, records, and/or files that have been corrupted, lost, or destroyed, utilizing backups
file unit The middle level of hierarchical description as defined by NARA, which describes an organized unit of documentary material grouped together either for…
files A collective term usually applied to all records of an office or agency.
files administration The management function which provides for the analysis of filing equipment and procedures to determine the most efficient type of equipment and system…
files management A method utilizing the application of records management principles and techniques to organize and maintain documents properly, in order to ensure…
filing The process of arranging and sorting records so that they may be retrieved rapidly when needed.
filing inch linear capacity of filing expressed in inches Note: For example, 25 filing inches are in a standard letter-size vertical file drawer.
filing segment One or more filing units that comprise an entire personal, organizational, or governmental name used in coding and arranging files
filing system systematic indexing and arrangement of records based on established procedures
filing unit A word, number, letter, or any combination of them, in a filing segment, considered when coding and arranging files
finding aid A descriptive tool to establish physical and/or intellectual control over records See also file guide and guide.
finding aids The descriptive media, published and unpublished, created by an originated office, which establish physical or administrative control over records and…
Firewall A set of related programs that protect the resources of a private network from users from other networks.
fiscal value worth of records for the conduct of current or future financial business and/or evidence thereof See also administrative value, evidential value…
fiscal year The fiscal year is the accounting period for the federal government which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.
floor load capacity of a floor area to support a given weight expressed in terms of weight per unit of area
floor space ratio filing capacity expressed in cubic volume of records per square unit of floor space
floppy disk A circular sheet of polyester coated with magnetic oxide and housed in a thin, square plastic jacket that is used as a removable data storage medium See…
flowchart A graphical representation using symbols to document the flow of information, the decision-making process, and/or the sequence of operations that are to…
folder See Directory.
fond a French archival term meaning "source", and in archival work it refers to the entire body of records produced by one functional corporate activity; often…
Footprint The land or water area covered by a project. This includes direct physical coverage (i.e.
form The mass or shape of an object or objects that appears unified, such as a vegetative opening in a forest, a cliff formation, or a water tank.
forms analysis process of determining how a form is to be used or revised
forms digest process of creating a form, based on forms analysis, that meets the requirements of its potential use
forms management/control function that establishes standards for the creation, design, analysis, revision, procurement, and warehousing of all forms within an organization…
Freedom of Information Act A U.S. federal law created to ensure public access to government records A term commonly used to refer to this type of legislation Also referred to as…
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request A request, made based on the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, for access to restricted information in Federal records held by NARA, including…
freeze drying process of stabilizing water-soaked documents by freezing them to prevent further damage from water in its liquid state See also vacuum drying, vacuum…
freeze notice See legal hold.
frozen records A suspension of the records destruction process because of special circumstances such as an audit, court order, or investigation See also destruction hold…
FTP File Transfer Protocol (ADP/Internet term).
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) An Internet protocol that enables the transfer of files between computers over a network or the Internet.
full-text search The ability to search a data file for specific words, numbers and/or combinations or patterns thereof.
Fumigation A pattern of plume dispersion produced when a convective boundary layer grows upward into a plume trapped in a stable layer.
functional classification system See structured-functional filing system.
functional records schedule Schedules that categorize records series by the business function to which they pertain rather than by the program units where they are maintained