Retrospective or project-based digitisation of existing sets of non-digital records to enhance accessibility, maximise re-use or for preservation purposes.

Digital materials which are created and retained only in digital form, without ever having had a non-digital equivalent. This term is used to differentiate them from:

• digital materials which have been created as a result of converting non-digital originals; and
• digital materials which may have originated from a digital source but have been printed to paper.

[Derived from Digital Preservation Coalition, Digital preservation handbook.http://www.dpconline.org/graphics/intro/definitions.html]

An automated system that creates or manages information about an organisation’s activities. Includes applications whose primary purpose is to facilitate transactions between an organisational unit and its customers eg. an e-commerce system, client relationship management system, purpose-built or customised database, finance or human resources systems. Business information systems that create or manage records should have the appropriate functionally for these tasks, or they should interface with other systems that manage the records.

[National Archives of Australia, Recordkeeping Glossary. http://www.naa.gov.au/records-management/publications/glossary.aspx].

Digitisation of records, often on receipt, and incorporation of the digital record into a business system supporting ongoing organisational activities. Such digitisation may take place in conjunction with the operation of an electronic document and records management system.

An image that has been created from another image, such as a master image, through an image editing process to create a user or working copy. The process usually involves a loss of information to reduce the size of the image by sampling it to a lower resolution, using lossy compression techniques, or altering an image using image processing techniques. Typically, such derivatives are made for purposes such as web access, including 'thumbnail' images that might be only 100 pixels square, or as 'reference' or 'service' images that should fit completely within an average monitor. Images created for this purpose commonly have smaller file sizes and, therefore, do not require a fast network connection and are in web-viewable formats.

Note: With business process digitisation, derivatives may not be necessary.

Also known as imaging or scanning, digitisation is the means of converting hard-copy or non-digital records into digital format. Digitisation may also be undertaken by taking digital photographs of the original records.

The process of establishing access points to facilitate retrieval of records and/or information.

[ISO 15489-2001]

A faithful digital reproduction of a record, optimised for longevity and for production of a range of delivery versions (derivatives). Masters are often captured at the highest practicable quality or resolution and stored for long-term usage. Typically, masters are stored in an off-line mode on tape or CD and are accessed only for the production of derivative images.

Note: With business process digitisation it is likely that only one image will be produced rather than a master and derivates.

Data describing context, content and structure of records and their management through time.

[ISO 15489-2001]

Any record made and kept, or received and kept, by any person in the course of the exercise of official functions in a public office, or for any purpose of a public office, or for the use of a public office.

[State Records Act 1998 (NSW)]

Information systems which capture, maintain and provide access to records over time."

[AS 4390-1996, Part 1, 4.20].

The process of removing or masking unwanted or sensitive areas of a record prior to showing it to others.