Transcript Heading style for title slide

Identifying and Managing
Duplicate Records
What are duplicate records?
Why do we need them and where are they kept?
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Why are duplicate records risky
business?
How do we manage duplication to manage risk?
How do we reduce the need to duplicate documents?
What are duplicate records?
Duplicate records quite simply replicate master records held elsewhere
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Transitory in nature
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Not an official record
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Used for discrete, short-term purpose
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Circulated in meetings or by email
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Not significantly altered or annotated
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Not created by the University and used for reference only
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Why do we need them and where
are they kept?
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To be an effective institution we need to circulate information
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Duplicates are held for many reasons and different time periods e.g.
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Back-up copies
Auditing purposes
Related but independent functions
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Information may also be held for reference or personal need
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Know what decisions are made
Know why decisions were taken
Future research or planning on related topic
Log of action on areas of work
Just-in-case or cover-your-back work cultures
Usually kept near desk or where most accessible
Why are duplicate records risky
business?
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FOI requests/legal action
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University needs to know what is held and where
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Information security/DPA risks e.g. tampering, unauthorised access, ill-advised release
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Circulating, editing or acting on out-of-date information e.g. version control, email
attachments
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Increased physical and electronic storage costs
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More information equals more difficulty finding all of the information needed
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Clutter, redundant information, H&S, capital costs
Can confuse what is the correct or latest version
Location of master and duplicate records should be known or discoverable
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Do not keep just because you think no one else will
How do we manage duplication to
manage risk?
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Know who holds the official/master records
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Do not keep duplicates longer than masters
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Do not transfer duplicates to inactive storage
Choose either paper or electronic to file master copies
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Hybrid filing systems can cause confusion over time
Use duplicates for specific purposes
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Destroy when purpose ends/use ceases
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Do not maintain ‘local archives’ of information you did not create
What about intra-university correspondence (e.g. email, memos, etc.)
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Recipient and sender keep for relevant purposes
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Master record is whichever needs longer retention
How do we reduce the need to
duplicate documents?
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Use the University Records Retention Schedule
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Know which retention periods apply to records you hold
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Weed your files of unnecessary out-of-date information
Use shared storage areas for electronic and paper files
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Shared departmental or function folder on s: drive
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Makes information easier to find and avoids duplication
Use document naming conventions to convey contents accurately
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See Records Management Manual
Use draft and version control
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See Records Management Manual
Minimise email circulation to only those appropriate
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Delete email you are copied into if not needed
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Provide links to attachments where possible