DIGITISATION STANDARD

2.1 > SOURCE RECORD PREPARATION GUIDELINES MUST BE DOCUMENTED AND IMPLEMENTED

The aim of producing digital images is to reproduce the original as faithfully as possible so that the digital image can act in place of the original, where it is required to act as evidence of business activities.

Source record preparation guidelines are not restricted to, but SHOULD include:

• An assessment of the source record's capability to sustain a digitisation process (e.g. paper quality, creasing, stapling, condition of microform jackets, attributes of the informational content – e.g. graphics);
• Methods of digitising non-standard source records (e.g. by digitising a photocopy of records on fragile or thin paper; creating a standard-sized document by using photocopy enlargement or reduction; enclosing fragile originals in plastic wallets or using specialty devices such as overhead scanners) and quality checks to ensure against data loss in any such processes;
• Methods for dealing with source records containing handwritten annotations, marginalia, white opaque paint or highlighted areas;
• Methods of distinguishing between original source records and photocopies;
• Guidance on what types of material need not be digitised as they are of only ephemeral or short-term value (guidance on this is available from Archives New Zealand's General Disposal Authority 3: General Housekeeping Records);
• Physical preparation for digitisation (e.g. careful staple removal, alignment of single pages, batching of like documents – size, technical settings, shared indexing fields);
• Processes for assigning links between associated documents to be regarded as a single item, so that the digitised image can faithfully represent the source record (e.g. a document and a 'post it' note attached; a document enclosing an attachment, etc.);
• Processes for assigning links between the source record and the digitised copy. Such links will usually be documented using identification protocols. In some applications barcode technology could be used to link paper and digitised versions;
• Procedures to enable checking and verification that all target source records have been included in the digitisation process;
• Principles governing the assembly of batches or groups of source records suitable for digitisation at the same time (e.g. size, colour, date order, document formats, orientation – portrait or landscape, single or double sided, etc.).