We are currently reviewing this training course and are not currently running any sessions.
If you have selected digital material that you would like to start preparing for transfer to The National Archives, we are happy to discuss with you the digital transfer process and its requirements, as well as assisting you with your preparations. Please email us at governmenttransfers@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
The application of technology-assisted review to born-digital records transfer, Inquiries and beyond: research report
Born-digital records pose many challenges for government departments. These include high volumes of records and a lack of structure of born-digital record collections. This affects not just the appraisal, selection and sensitivity review processes when transferring records to The National Archives but also poses challenges for departments responding to Inquiries and Freedom of Information requests. There are also broader information management and security concerns for born-digital record collections.
The National Archives conducted trials of technology-assisted review (this is sometimes referred to as TAR or computer-assisted review) to examine these challenges and explore the potential solutions. We also looked at additional research to test how these tools and processes could help meet the challenges of born-digital records. Technology-assisted review describes a process or processes involving expert document reviewers using a combination of computer software and tools to automatically classify records. This report summarises the key lessons learned from that work.
The report concludes that technology-assisted review using eDiscovery software can support government departments during appraisal, selection and sensitivity review as part of a born-digital records transfer to The National Archives. This support also extends to responding to Inquiries and Freedom of Information requests, as well as information management and information security. We summarised these findings into eight lessons learned:
- Understanding born-digital collections at a high level
- Reducing the amount of information to review
- Extracting meaning
- Identifying personal information
- Procurement
- User interface
- Collaboration with other teams
- Confidence in technology-assisted review
There is no completely automated solution; human input is still required at all stages. But technology-assisted review offers ways to understand, value, prioritise and reduce the volume of born-digital records needing to be manually reviewed. The report ends by setting out further research The National Archives will conduct and the support it plans to give to government departments to help them manage their born-digital record collections. As such we will continue to work with Cabinet Office and the Government Digital Service to provide solutions that are tested with government departments. In addition, we will continue collaboration with other centres of expertise within government and beyond to enhance methods and tools.
Contact us on GovernmentTransfers@nationalarchives.gov.uk if you have any questions about this report.
The digital landscape in government 2014-2015: business intelligence review
The Digital Transfer Project launched in September 2013, to prepare The National Archives and government departments for large scale born-digital record transfers, starting in 2016 under The Public Records Act. The aim of the project was to develop a scalable process for the transfer, preservation and presentation of born-digital records with long-term value; enabling them to be held securely while closed, and be accessible to the public when open.
As part of the project, we undertook a business intelligence review to understand the current digital landscape and digital challenges of government departments in the UK. In particular to understand:
- the volumes and types of digital information being created and managed in government
- the capabilities and capacity of government departments to manage digital records, both current and legacy (those records not currently in business use)
- the ability of government departments to prepare for the transfer of digital records to The National Archives
This snapshot of the digital landscape in government helps The National Archives and government departments to plan resources and prepare for the future transfers of born-digital records. The findings will also assist in determining areas where government departments may need support during the transfer process enabling potential challenges to be identified and addressed at an early stage.
An expert team at The National Archives experienced in digital records management undertook the research and writing of this report. It was undertaken prior to the publication of Sir Alex Allan’s review of government digital records and seeks to complement the review’s work.
The digital landscape in government 2014-15: business intelligence review
Contact us on GovernmentTransfers@nationalarchives.gov.uk if you have any questions about this report.
Sir Alex Allan is a senior civil servant who is currently the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards. In 2014 Sir Alex Allan reported on how government departments were managing their process for releasing records. The Cabinet Secretary also commissioned him to conduct a review into the government’s strategy for managing digital records and archives.
The review aimed to identify how to ensure the long term integrity of government records and to review:
- policies for capturing and managing digital information
- policies for selecting, retaining and disposing of digital records and how sensitivity checks are handled
- whether these policies are complied with
- whether government has the right tools, including technology, and resources
- whether government has the right skills and capacity
It covered records from UK government departments but not from the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland governments or the intelligence agencies.
Read Sir Alex Allan’s Review of government digital records
Under The Public Records Act, public bodies are required to select records for permanent preservation, under the guidance and supervision of the Keeper of Public Records and transfer these records to The National Archives (or an approved place of deposit) no later than 20 years after their creation. Under the Act, records are defined to include not only written material but records conveying information by any other means whatsoever.
From 2016, public bodies will begin to transfer born-digital records, which are those records created originally in digital formats such as emails, documents and spreadsheets. Born-digital information should not be confused with digitised information which consists of analogue material (e.g. paper, film, photographs) that has been rendered in digital form.
Preserving digital records is a major challenge for archives across the world. The National Archives is leading the archive sector in embracing the challenges of storing digital information for future generations and making it accessible to the public.
Sir Alex Allan is a senior civil servant and has reported on born-digital records management in the UK Government. The National Archives has done research on the current digital landscape as well as looked at possible solutions to help departments with the challenges of managing born-digital records.