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Electronic records are created in a very large variety of formats, and in an era of rapidly changing technology, this number is always increasing. Some records have a textual basis (for example, office documents or emails), but many have no paper equivalent - records such as websites, databases, virtual reality models and audio-visual material.
In addition to the large number of formats, there are also many that become outdated or even obsolete over time. Such formats need to be viewed on a specially configured system that supports the software required.
Making electronic government records widely available therefore poses many challenges. To make them accessible to as many viewers as possible, we create presentation copies that will display online.
The records in this collection are presentation copies of the original records stored in our secure Digital Archive. In some cases, the format of the records has been changed so that they may be viewed online. The content of the records remains the same as the original, we will only change the format.
Some file formats require the use of a third party plug-in to display. These include
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and Macromedia Flash (SWF).
Find out more about plug-ins
Not all electronic records are available for online viewing. Some records are closed, which means they have been assessed as containing material that is not suitable for public viewing at this time.
You can place a formal Freedom of Information request and we will review whether material can be made available.
Make a freedom of information
enquiry
Technical implications and large file sizes mean some records simply cannot be presented online. In these cases, you may request a copy of the record to be sent to you
As new and different formats continue to arrive, we look for the best ways to present them online. Electronic Records Online is evolving, so we are always happy to hear your comments and suggestions about the service.
The National Archives' award-winning Digital Archive provides a secure repository
for electronic records and stores them together with detailed data about their structure,
content integrity and provenance. This information is used by our expert staff to
ensure these records remain accessible for years to come.
More detailed
information about the Digital Archive
Electronic Records Online is a pilot project - an initial model of presenting our digital records that we are monitoring for future development and expansion. Due to the pilot nature of this service, Electronic Records Online may be temporarily unavailable on rare occasions. We will let you know if this happens. We will take all necessary steps to ensure that such disruptions of service are kept to a minimum.
