RECORDS RETENTION PLAN SELECTED GLOSSARY OF TERMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00390R000100010011-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 29, 2002
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: December 1, 1971
• Content Type: PAPER

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RECORD COPY
RECORDS RETENTION
PLAN
Selected Glossary
Of Terms
DECEMBER 1971
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Selected Glossary of Terms
related to
Records Retention Plans
Section I -- Records Management -- General
Analysis. A study process by which work is resolved into its elements.
The objective is to determine what work is necessary to be accomplished
and how it may best be done. Unless done to bring a new work plan into
existence, analysis is remedial diagnosis - making recommendations for
change and demonstrating the advantages of such change. An indication
of how basic this concept is to information processing is to note its
many specializations. Using the part two index, see cost analysis,
forms analysis, management analysis, methods analysis, operation analysis,
organizational analysis, procedural analysis, statistical analysis, and
systems analysis.
Federal Records Act of 1950. The statute which prescribes the records
management responsibilities of the Administrator of General Services and
of the heads of Federal agencies. Enacted as Title V of the Federal
Property and Administrative Services Act (USC 391-402). See also Federal
property management regulations.
Paperwork management. (1) The application of Cost reduction principles
to all recordkeeping and recordmaking processes, particularly correspond-
ence, forms, directives and reports. (2) As popularized by the Second
Hoover Commission, a broadly based program based upon an analysis of the
Federal Records Act of 1950.
Records. Defined in the Records Disposal Act of 1943 (44 U.S.C. 366-380),
as including "all books, papers, maps, photographs, or other documentary
materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or
received by any agency of the United States Government in pursuance of
Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business and
preserved or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate
successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions,
procedures, operations, or other activities of the Government or because
of the informational value of the data contained therein.
Records administration. A concept developed in the late 1930's whereby
organizations would control the disposal of records by scheduling, provide
standards for filing equipment and supplies, control correspondence format
and practices, and work closely with the archivists in designating the
permanently valuable records.
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Records Disposal Act of 1943. The statute of July 7, 1943 controlling
sposa of Federal recor s (44 U.S.C. 366-380). Defines records and
provides for their scheduling.
Records disposition. Any means of changing the custody or existence of
records. It may involve (a) the preparation of disposal standards
(schedules); (b) disposal by destruction or salvage or donation; (c)
transfer to a records storage area or center; (d) transfer from one
organization to another; (e) retirement to an archival institution.
A major element in records management.
Records maintenance. A planned system or method applied to the classi
fication, indexing, filing, protection, servicing, and preservation of
records. A major element of records management.
Records management. A program designed to provide econony and efficiency
in the creation, the organization, maintenance, and use, and the disposi-
tion of records, assurance that needless records will not be created or
kept and that valuable records will be preserved. A concept, developed
in World War II, to supersede that of records administration. See also
records creation, records maintenance, and records disposition.
Records. management officer. An individual designated by an organization
to assume the statutory responsibility for effectively accomplishing in
that organization the various phases of the records management program
specified in the Federal Records Act of 1950 and the Records Disposal
Act of 1943.
Survey. A major records management study of a paperwork problem, with
a formal report of findings and recommendations.
Section II -- Files Management
Active records. Records referred to more than once a month per file
cabinet drawer regardless of age.
Arrangement. (1) The order in which documents are filed. (2) A logical
plan for organizing records, such as alphabetically by name, or by
subject, or numerically.
Breakdown. (1) The division or subdivision of subject categories into
successively more specific classes. (2) The separation of records by
type, character, or date.
Category. (1) A natural class or division of things. (2) A logical
grouping of associated documents.
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Centralized files. The maintenance at a key point of an organized body
of records serving all or most of the organizational elements. The
opposite of decentralized files.
Classifying. The process, normally connected with subject files, of
determining the file designation and necessary index references to
papers to be filed. Same as indexing.
Closed file. Essentially a collection of related papers on which action
is completed and to which very few papers are likely to be added.
Continuity filing. The consolidation, in date sequence, within general
subject files, of all related papers and documents in a specific trans-
action. Previous correspondence is brought forward and attached to the
current material and an appropriate reference form is placed in the
subject file in the position occupied by the material brought forward.
Convenience file. Nonrecord publications or copies of papers kept in
or near the user's desk for immediate reference purposes. See also non-
record.
Cross reference. A finding aid, normally interfiled with the documents
of an organized file to help in locating the main document requested,
when such documents can be requested by more than one subject, name or
number.
Current file area. The office space being used by active files. The
opposite of a records center or holding area. See also active records.
Current records. "Current" relates to degree of activity, not recency
of date.
Cut-off. A break in a file to start a new file, usually at the end of
a calendar or fiscal year. The purpose of the break is to separate
active records from less active, and so lead to earlier transfer of the
less active records to inexpensive storage.
Decentralized files. Files which are physically located, maintained,
and serviced in proximity to the point of creation or use. Normally
this approach uses no central file and the separate files for the various
organizational segments are autonomous. Decentralized files may be
required to conform to various centralized controls: classification,
audit, and listing of subject contents.
File. To place documents in a cabinet, folder, or other container, in
designated location.
File copy. The official or record document so marked or recognized
complete with enclosures or related papers. The file copy of outgoing
correspondence, for example, may be on yellow tissue.
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File designation. The symbol, subject, name, number, or date con-
trolling the placement of a document in a filing system.
File group. A Collection of papers which have similar characteristics
and which should be kept apart from other groups of records on a file
location. See also records series.
File station. Any location in the organization at which documents are
maintained for current use.
Files management. A basic element of records management, being that
planned program for the economical and efficient placement, maintenance,
and use of records, including organization of records by case and subject
content through classification systems to facilitate the rapid, accurate,
and complete retrieval of information.
Filing. The act of putting documents into their place in accordance with
an established system.
Office of record. An office designated to maintain the official records
for specified operations.
Official file copy. Same as file copy.
Policy records. Generally, records relating to the organization, plans,
methods, techniques, rules, procedures, and decisions adopted by an
agency to carryout its designated responsibilities and functions.
Project file. A file of document relating to a specific. organization,
person, place, or thing. A type of case file. May contain papers
relating to an assigned task or problem, with findings, conclusions,
and recommendations for action and/or solution maintained in a prescribed
sequence.
Record copy. Same as file copy.
Recordkeepers. Persons, including those on a part-time basis, as
secretaries, responsible for maintaining any organized body of records.
Record series. Ordinarily, records arranged under a single filing
system, or kept together as a unit because they relate to a particular
subject or activity or because they have a particular form. Each has an
"agency of origin" and belongs to one record group; each begins at one
point and ends at another, whether date coverage or physical dimension
is meant; and each is made up of components having fixed positions in
the sequence. See also file group.
Record set. Official record copies of published materials, as dis-
tinguished from stock of extra copies.
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Screening. To review and physically search through files periodically
and remove papers eligible for disposal.
Security classification. The graded classification (Top Secret, Secret,
or Confidential as set forth in Executive Order 10501) of record material
to insure its restricted handling in accordance with prescribed regula-
tions.
Vital records. Records necessary to the essential functions of the
Federal Government for the duration of an emergency if this country is
attacked, and records essential to the preservation of legal rights of
individual citizens. Often maintained in duplicate copies, one set
being an alternate or emergency file.
Working papers. A collection of supporting records, papers or corres-
pondence related to a particular project or phase of operations, the
custody of which is essential to the operation of the organization or
agency for a limited period of time.
Section III -- Records Disposition (Retention or Disposal)
Administer. To control under an approved system.
Administrative value. The usefulness of records to the agency of origin
for carrying on its day-to-day activities. See evidential value.
Appraisal. The evaluation of records to determine their proper disposi-
tion. A series of records is appraised by studying its relationship to
other records in the agency and in other organizations, its informational
content, and its current and future values.
Collection. Manuscripts, printed documents, and memorabilia arbitrarily
gathered together from various sources and maintained and administered
as an entity.
Comprehensive records schedule. An authorized instruction for the
disposition of recurring records, specifying also those to be retained
permanently. Indicates period of cut-off, haw long the records are to
be kept in offices and when transferred to a records center. May give
method of filing. See also records control schedule.
Disposal. A form of records disposition that involves outright destruction
of records. See records disposition.
Disposal authority. The legal authorization for the disposal of records
obtained through the National Archives and Records Service from the
Congress (Congressional Joint Committee on the Disposition of Executive
Papers), initiated by the agencies on Standard Form 115.
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Disposition program. The ensemble of practices designed to achieve
efficient and, economical disposition of records. It involves develop-
ing standards, procedures, and techniques for managing the longevity
of records. Includes controls over office filing equipment, scheduling
records for disposition and administering their storage, documenting
agency benefits accruing from the program, and undertaking surveys and
audits of disposal operations.
Disposition standard. The time period for the cut-off, transfer, and
destruction of a file.
Evidential value. The usefulness of records as the primary evidence
of an agency's authority, functions, organization, operations, and
basic decisions and procedures.
Fiscal value. The usefulness of records for information about the
financial transactions and obligations of agencies and organizations.
See administrative value.
General records schedule. Standards issued to heads of agencies by the
General Services Administration authorizing the retention, or destruction,
often specific periods, of records common to several or all agencies.
Permissive rather than mandatory.
Historical value. The usefulness of records for historical research
concerning the agency of origin or for information about persons, places,
events, or things. See research value.
Informational value. The usefulness of records as primary source for
information about persons, places, events, conditions, things. See
research value.
Inventory. A descriptive listing by series of the records of an agency
or part of an agency, usually including information on volume, dates,
arrangement and location of records covered by each entry.
Legal value. The usefulness of records that contain evidence of legally
enforceable rights or obligations of the Government or private persons.
.See evidential value.
Nonrecord. Material excluded from the definition of record in the
Records Disposal Act of 1943, such as extra copies of documents pre-
served for convenience of reference and stocks of processed documents.
Periodic transfer. The removal of the records at stated intervals from
the current files to equipment and locations suitable for storing in-
active and semi-active records.
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Records control schedule. A document listing the files of an organiza-
tion, showing which records are to be destroyed and those to be retained.
Promulgates the disposal authority to all who can use it. See also
comprehensive records schedule.
Records Disposal Act. The Statute of July 7, 1943, as amended (44 U.S.C.
366-3763 37b), which, together with the regulations of the General
Services Administration, prescribes the procedures for disposal of
Federal records.
Records disposition. Management planning and analysis required to
determine when records are no longer needed for current business. The
determinations include: destruction, transfer to a records center,
reproduction on microfilm and subsequent destruction, and transfer to
an archival establishment for permanent preservation. These determina-
tions get recorded in schedules.
Records retirement. The removal of records from current file space to
a holding area, records center, or archival depository. One type of
disposition.
Retention standard. The time period for particular records (normally,
a series) to be kept.
Records values. The determination of usefulness of records for adminis-
trative legal, fiscal, and research needs. See also evidential value
and informational value.
Research value. The usefulness of records for research by the Government,
business and other private organizations and scholars in the humanities,
social and physical sciences, administration and other disciplines. See
historical value.
Retention period. Same as retention standard.
Retention plan. A document designating the classes of records of an
agency or bureau that deserve permanent preservation, and containing
the list of the office of record, locations, and titles of particular
series or series segments in which each class is filed.
Scheduled records. Covered by an authorized disposal authority.
Scheduling. Preparing a written description of records, either in
existence or expected to be accumulated, showing disposition actions
to be taken at stated intervals. See also retention schedule.
Series. Documents, volumes, or filders that are arranged under a
single filing system, or are kept together as a unit because they
relate to a particular subject, result from the same activity, or
have a particular form.
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Temporary record. A generic term for that type of document which
loses its value within a limited period of time, and which should
be segregated during filing from records having longer retention.
Since the documents are records they must be scheduled. See also
transitory file.
Transfer. The movement of records from one custodian to another.
Usually, moving records from the active files to inactive files,
from agency office space to a records center or an archival establish-
ment.
Transitory file. Papers which have no value for records purposes and
are destroyed normally within 90 days.
Unscheduled records. Series for which no decision on disposition has
been made.
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