Records Management — page 3 of 8

Records Management terms

201. direct access The ability of an electric power consumer to purchase electricity from a supplier of their choice without being physically inhibited by the owner of the…
202. direct entry selection of natural word order when formulating and indexing a term consisting of two or more words (for example, "diazo microfilm" rather than…
203. directives management application of records management principles and techniques to general instructions, bulletins, policies/procedures, or other official issuances
204. disaster recovery plan A written and approved course of action to take after a disaster strikes that details how an organization will restore critical business functions and…
205. Discovery This is when the Court orders each party (each side) to give each other information about the facts before the trial, to avoid surprise.
206. disk The visible surface of the sun (or any heavenly body) projected against the sky.
207. dispersal transfer of duplicate copies of vital records to locations beyond those where the originals are housed See also built-in dispersal and mirror site.
208. Disposal A term used in some countries, including the U.S., to mean that an application has been abandoned, denied (rejected) or allowed (granted).
209. disposal authority The legal authorization for the disposal of records granted by the Department of General Services.
210. disposal list A document providing one-time authorization for the legal destruction of specified nonrecurring series.
211. disposal period The length of time, based on an event or a chronological period, during which a series is retained before its authorized disposal.
212. dispose To carry out disposition instructions to destroy or donate temporary records after their retention period expires or other documentary material without…
213. disposition The court's final determination of a lawsuit, the outcome of the case.
214. disposition agreement A general term that includes all types of agreements (records schedules, deeds of gift, deposit agreements) that contain disposition instructions.
215. disposition instruction The instructions contained in a disposition agreement that mandate what is to be done with documentary material at certain points in their lifecycle.
216. disposition period The time period scheduled for the cutoff, transfer to a records center, destruction or transfer to the State Archives. See also retention period.
217. disposition schedule retention schedule.
218. DM Dire Maul or Deadmines (if in Westfall)
219. DM (document management) Techniques used to regulate the creation, use, and maintenance of documents according to established policies and procedures See also electronic document…
220. docket A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
221. document Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(a) defines a document as including writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, phonorecords, and other data compilations.
222. Document Imaging The conversion of paper based documents to electronic images of the documents through a scan.
223. documentary material Records (temporary or permanent), nonrecord material, personal papers or artifacts that refer to all media containing recorded information, regardless of…
224. documentation An organized set of information that explains the requirements needed to use and maintain a system, process, or project
225. donated material Documentary material that has been transferred into NARA's legal custody via a deed of gift from a person or non-Federal organization.
226. Draft A signed, written order by which one party (the drawer) instructs another party (the drawee) to pay a specified sum to a third party (the payee), at sight…
227. dublin core an international metadata standard consisting of a 15-element set to describe a wide range of resources about the creation of a document.
228. duplex-numeric A coding system using numbers with two or more parts separated by a dash, space, or comma Note: An unlimited number of items may be included under any one…
229. duplicate 1. Pertaining to microforms, a duplicate is a working copy other than the master or security copy, which is administratively useful to an agency.
230. duplication Multiple occurrence of: 1. A DNA sequence within a defined length of DNA; or 2. A specific segment in the same chromosome or genome.
231. durability degree to which a storage medium retains its original strength or properties, especially under conditions of heavy, sustained use See also archival…
232. DVD See digital versatile disc (DVD).
233. DVD (digital versatile disc) Optical storage media that can store up to 4.7 GB of data, or the equivalent of 7 CDs, on a single-sided, single-layer disc, or up to 8.
234. EDI See electronic data interchange (EDI).
235. EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Eliminating forms altogether by encoding the data as close as possible to the point of the transaction; automated business information exchange.
236. EDMS See electronic document management system (EDMS).
237. EDMS (Electronic Document Management System) A system to electronically manage documents during all life cycles. See Electronic Document Management.
238. electronic data processing System for recording and processing data on magnetic media.
239. electronic filing Capturing, indexing, and storing documents, both those that are born digital and those that have been digitized, in an electronic storage and retrieval…
240. electronic mail transmission of messages, their metadata, and possible attachments over communications networks
241. Electronic Record Information recorded in a form that requires a computer or other machine to process it and that otherwise satisfies the definition of a record.
242. electronic records Records consisting of data and information which is input, created, manipulated and/or stored on electronic media which show evidence of actions and…
243. electronic records management system A system consisting of software, hardware, policies, and processes to automate the preparation, organization, tracking, and distribution of records…
244. electronic records system any electronic, electro-magnetic, optical digital, or magneto-optic system used to create, process, receive, keep, and retrieve records.
245. electronic signature A stamp added to mail messages, fields, or sections that verifies that the person who originated the message is the author and that no one has tampered…
246. electronic vaulting Disaster planning service that involves moving data over a network to a secure remote site according to an established schedule
247. Encryption A procedure that renders the contents of a message or file unintelligible to anyone not authorized to read it.
248. encyclopedic arrangement An arrangement of filing in which records are filed under broad, major headings and then under the specific subheading to which they relate.
249. enduring value See permanent value.
250. environmental control management of the conditions where records are stored, including temperature, humidity, air quality, light, and pests See also climate control.
251. equity holder A Federal or Presidential organization that owns or has a stake in information found in a record, and so must participate in decisions relating to the…
252. ERM See electronic records management (ERM) and enterprise report management (ERM).
253. ERM (electronic records management) The application of records management principles to electronic records The management of records using electronic systems to apply records management…
254. ERM (enterprise report management) A system that transforms reports into documents and data that can be searched, accessed, and leveraged in business processes Also referred to as…
255. essential characteristics Those properties/characteristics of electronic records that must remain unchanged through transfer, ingest, storage, and presentation or output of records.
256. essential record any public record necessary to resumption or continuation of operations of state or local government, to re-creation of the legal and financial status of…
257. essential records See vital records.
258. evaluation See appraisal.
259. event-based disposition A concept wherein once a registered event occurs, the disposition schedule starts See also disposition.
260. evidential integrity the inherent value of a record to instill public confidence in the authenticity, reliability, validity, and fidelity of a record to represent the…
261. evidential value qualities that are necessary to provide the trustworthiness, reliability, and authenticity of a record and that can be used to prove or disprove a fact…
262. expert system An artificial intelligence application that uses a knowledge base of human expertise to aid in solving problems Note: The problem-solving capability is…
263. expunge material To completely remove documentary material from NARA's physical custody and all related information about the material such as that no trace of the…
264. facsimile An electronic means for transmitting an exact reproduction of an image using communications lines Also referred to as fax.
265. facsimile transmission The electronic transmission by wire of document images for reproduction at remote locations having compatible equipment.
266. FAX Short for facsimile. A process of transmitting documents by scanning them to digital, converting to analog, transmitting over phone lines and reversing…
267. field Field A region of space at each point of which a given physical or mathematical quantity has some definite value.
268. 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.
269. file break Termination of a file at regular periodic intervals to facilitate continuous disposal or transfer of the file series.
270. file classification system A logical and systematic arrangement for classifying records into subject groups or categories based on some definite scheme of natural relationships…
271. 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.
272. 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.
273. file integrity Being accurate, complete, and in original order Being free of corruption
274. file maintenance activity of preserving the integrity and/or maintaining the currency of a file by reviewing, deleting duplicates, and/or adding information
275. 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
276. 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…
277. file recovery restoration of electronic documents, records, and/or files that have been corrupted, lost, or destroyed, utilizing backups
278. file unit The middle level of hierarchical description as defined by NARA, which describes an organized unit of documentary material grouped together either for…
279. files A collective term usually applied to all records of an office or agency.
280. 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…
281. files management A method utilizing the application of records management principles and techniques to organize and maintain documents properly, in order to ensure…
282. filing The process of arranging and sorting records so that they may be retrieved rapidly when needed.
283. filing inch linear capacity of filing expressed in inches Note: For example, 25 filing inches are in a standard letter-size vertical file drawer.
284. filing segment One or more filing units that comprise an entire personal, organizational, or governmental name used in coding and arranging files
285. filing system systematic indexing and arrangement of records based on established procedures
286. filing unit A word, number, letter, or any combination of them, in a filing segment, considered when coding and arranging files
287. finding aid A descriptive tool to establish physical and/or intellectual control over records See also file guide and guide.
288. finding aids The descriptive media, published and unpublished, created by an originated office, which establish physical or administrative control over records and…
289. Firewall A set of related programs that protect the resources of a private network from users from other networks.
290. fiscal value worth of records for the conduct of current or future financial business and/or evidence thereof See also administrative value, evidential value…
291. fiscal year The fiscal year is the accounting period for the federal government which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.
292. floor load capacity of a floor area to support a given weight expressed in terms of weight per unit of area
293. floor space ratio filing capacity expressed in cubic volume of records per square unit of floor space
294. 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…
295. 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…
296. folder See Directory.
297. 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…
298. Footprint The land or water area covered by a project. This includes direct physical coverage (i.e.
299. 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.
300. forms analysis process of determining how a form is to be used or revised