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  • Imaging Departmental Records

Imaging Departmental Records

Preparing to Scan

Before you scan your records, consider the life cycle of the record. Review the UTRRS to see what retention is required so you can ensure the imaged record you create will meet those requirements.

Records that must be retained for more than 10 years or have historical significance may require extra planning.

Requirements for Imaging Master Records

These are the requirements outlined in the Departmental Management of Imaged Master Records Acknowledgment.  For more information about any of the the items listed on this page, please see the Acknowledgement or contact us at rms@austin.utexas.edu

Technical Requirements

  • Imaged records must be individually retrievable and readable for as long as the records are retained

Quality Assurance

  • Each imaged record must be inspected by at least one person to ensure that the image is legible, complete, and accurate
  • It must be verified that indexing information matches the imaged record
  • Have a procedure in place for reimaging a record if verification shows any discrepancies
  • The original hard copy may be destroyed after these verifications have been completed
  • Review your imaged records annually to ensure the files are still viable 

Resolution Settings

  • Records must be imaged at a resolution of at least 200 dots per inch (dpi), but 300 dpi is recommended for documents that contain type font of six point or larger
  • For documents with a type font smaller than six point, scanning resolution must be adequate to ensure that no detail is lost

Output Review

  • Each device should be configured to produce acceptable output as outlined in the Acknowledgement

File Formats

  • Records must be converted to either TIFF, PDF, or PDF/A
    • The preferred archival standard is TIFF
    • PDF or PDF/A is acceptable for records that do not require archival review or transfer
  • For more information consult with Records Management regarding selecting an appropriate file format

Documenting Imaging Processes

  • Departments must provide detailed documentation about their imaging processes, quality assurance, training or instructions provided, people authorized to perform imaging, review of training materials, and review and testing of technologies and retrieval samples.

Retaining Imaged Records

  • The department must protect any confidential and sensitive information that is imaged. This includes protecting the subsequent imaged record.
  • The department must be able to implement a disposition hold of the imaged records in the event of any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, public information request, or other action involving the record.
  • Retain imaged records using a central server or approved Cloud storage solution such as UT Box, to prevent loss or premature destruction of records.

Metadata Requirements

Include the following fields:

  • UTRRS UT Item code
  • UTRRS Series title or description
  • Creator or contact/unit
  • Unique identifier
  • Archival Requirement Status
  • Destruction date or trigger

Metadata must be embedded in the records or provided in a separate file.

Imaged Records State Law Reference

Texas Administrative Code: Standards and Procedure for Management of Electronic Records

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