How to manage your information

Thorough planning is essential for good information management.

• Departmental Record Officer
• Records management code
• Information principles
• Knowledge principles
• Guiding principles
• Planning tips
• Requirements for an offsite store

These pages provide guidance on the selection and transfer of records.

• Step 1: Appraising your records
• Step 2: Selecting your records
• Step 3: Sensitivity reviews of selected records
• Step 4: Cataloguing and preparation of records
• Step 5: Planning and arranging delivery of records
• Step 6: Accessioning your records
• Borrowing accessioned records
• Glossary of record selection and transfer terms

The National Archives receives transfers of any digital formats.

• Transfer Digital Records (TDR)
• Born-digital records and metadata
• Digital transfer steps
• Guidance and forms for digital transfer
• File formats for transfer

The National Archives is tackling the challenges of digital preservation, ensuring continued access to digital information in the future.

• Our role
• Guidance
• Download DROID: file format identification tool
• Research and collaboration

To realise the value of your information you need a combination of policies, process, tools and technology that take account of legislative and business requirements.

• Disposing of records
• Managing digital continuity
• Managing digital records without an EDRMS
• Managing emails
• Managing Private Office records
• Legal obligations for transfer
• Reviewing records management in government
• Reviewing digital records management in government

Public inquiries investigate issues of serious public concern, scrutinising past decisions and events. It is therefore crucial that information created or used during the course of an inquiry is managed to ensure its survival for future policy makers and researchers.

• Roles and responsibilities
• Information management policy
• Filing structures
• Technical considerations
• Creating an official inquiry website
• Copyright and ownership
• Appraise records
• Sensitivity review
• Prepare records for transfer
• Top tips for good inquiry management

You should have a clear understanding of the information risks that face your organisation, including cyber threats.

• Information security
• Exporting and transferring electronic data
• Machinery of government change

Our Information Management Assessment (IMA) programme provides government departments and public bodies with an independent and bespoke assessment of how well they are managing their information.

• Benefits of the programme
• Information Management Self-Assessment Tool
• Good practice and lessons learned
• IMA reports and resources

Find your place of deposit (local archives appointed by The National Archives under the Public Records Act) or transferring organisation, and see guidance about transferring records from courts, NHS organisations, coroners and prisons.

• Places of deposit application

Find resources providing guidance on keeping your information secure and managing information risk.