Mystery Records: Tips for When Records Can’t Be Classified

An RMO walked into my office like a shredded record—all cut up and bent out of shape. I was used to that sort of thing. “What seems to be the trouble?” I said.

“I got these records, see? And I just can’t classify ‘em no matter what I do.”

“You got no information about ‘em? Nothing to go on?”

“Nada. Zilch. Zippo. I got a box of floppies and no way to read ‘em. I got a folder of receipts faded blank. I got a pile of photographs with no labels. I got a megabyte of .cal files no one’s ever heard of. I’m hopeless. Desperate. An awful mess. Say you’ll help me!”

It wasn’t the first time I’d run across this situation, and it wouldn’t be the last. “You can’t unscramble these eggs, kid, but I’ve got some tips to help save your bacon.”

Detective's office with wooden chairs and a desk with a typewriter.

Look for Clues, Make an Effort, and Document Your Findings

When you come across mystery records that are inaccessible, unreadable, damaged, or otherwise difficult to classify, the first step is to gather as many clues as you can about what the records are, where they came from, and what they were used for. Here are some questions to ask that can help you gather information:

  • Where and how were the records stored?
    • The records may be related to other records stored or filed nearby.
  • Who was responsible for the records? Who was the custodian?
    • Determining custodianship can help you narrow down the function of the records. For example, records held by a project manager would likely serve a different function than those held by a communications officer.
  • What physical characteristics or qualities do the records have?
    • Storage media, electronic file types, and even typefaces can give you important clues about the age and purpose of the records.
  • Can you estimate a creation date or date range?
    • All of the clues above may help you roughly calculate when the records were created. Even narrowing down to a decade may be helpful in determining whether the records have met retention.

Also, make an effort to read, access, or recover the records if possible. For example, there may be hardware or software available that would allow you to access older electronic records. If the records have been damaged, seek the help of an in-house expert or research the cost of hiring a vendor.

Important Note: Write down your findings, what efforts you took to recover or access the records, and explain how you drew your conclusions about what the records are. This documentation will help you make a case that the records can be destroyed, if that is your goal. Also, though your government is not absolved from obligations under the Public Information Act (PIA) just because records are inaccessible or damaged, this documentation will help you have an explanation ready if you get a PIA request for the records.

Approximate Classification and Estimate Retention

Once you’ve gathered as many clues as you can, take a look through your retention schedule for the best fit. You may not be able to find a perfect match, but you can hopefully narrow it down to a few candidates or at least a section of the schedule (such as fiscal records, or personnel records).

Once you’ve identified potential retention periods, you can estimate the likely retention period. To be safe, it’s a good idea to choose the longest retention period that could apply. Just like when you were gathering clues, be sure to document your thought process and reasoning for choosing the retention period.

Document the Destruction

In addition to recording destruction in a disposition log, you may want to retain additional documentation on why and when the records were destroyed. The information you collected about the nature of the records and the likely applicable retention periods will help you explain your decision to destroy the records. If the records are damaged, you may also want to take notes or photographs showing the level of deterioration.

State agencies and local governments in Texas are obligated to follow the applicable retention periods for all records, even those that are difficult to classify due to damage, deterioration, or loss of access. Keeping additional documentation of destruction will help show what efforts your government entity took to classify the records, to recover or gain access to them, and to choose the most likely retention period before the records were destroyed.

Detective writing in a notebook.

The RMO looked at me with starry eyes. “How can I ever repay you?”

“Update your file plan and we’ll call it even.” I knew I’d see that RMO again one day. The world is full of damaged records and an analyst’s job is never done.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.