Lifecycle of Parliamentary Documents: United Kingdom
digitized, to the National Archives.,[1] The National Archives conducted a review of born-digital records and found that, due to their high volume and lack of structure, they pose challenges to the appraisal, selection, and review process, as well as to the ability of departments to respond to Freedom of Information requests.[2] To tackle this, the National Archives has been investigating the use of technology-assisted review to transfer born-digital records. It has currently found that “technology-assisted review using eDiscovery software can support government departments during appraisal, selection and sensitivity review as part of a born-digital records transfer to The National Archives.”[3] It will continue to work with the Cabinet Office and Government Digital Service to test solutions.
To help preserve all versions of gov.uk websites, the National Archives advises those responsible for managing them that superseded documents should not be removed, but instead the original gov.uk page should be archived to “ensure the document remains available but . . . make it clear that the content no longer reflects current policy.”[4] The National Archives states that website owners should take steps to ensure that web archiving is considered in the design of any site and that the owner notifies the National Archives of any new website. The person responsible for managing the website must ensure the UGWA has successfully captured the site and that the content is complete and accessible prior to closing it.[5] The National Archives notes that “it is essential that departments verify capture [of publications on the website] by checking with The National Archives’ web archiving team.”[6]
The National Archives has stated that while commercially published materials are automatically sent to the British Library to fulfil the legal deposit requirements, in certain instances government departments publish documents but sometimes fail to deposit these documents with the British Library, with some documents being published solely online and removed after a few months.[7] To help to ensure preservation of such material, the UKGWA may select a department’s website
for permanent preservation.[8]
- ↑ Reviewing Digital Records Management in Government, The National Archives, https://perma.cc/2DD2-37EJ.
- ↑ Our Research, The National Archives, https://perma.cc/RS2L-6T3P.
- ↑ The National Archives, The Application of Technology Assisted Review to Born-digital Records Transfer, Inquiries and Beyond (Feb. 2016), https://perma.cc/427C-2J83.
- ↑ The National Archives, Parliamentary Papers Guidance, supra note 5, at 27.
- ↑ The National Archives, Operational Selection Policy 27: UK Central Government Web Estate, supra note 110, ¶ 4.3.
- ↑ The National Archives, Operation Selection Policy 36: Publications/Grey Literature, supra note 64, ¶ 4.3.2.
- ↑ Id. ¶ 4.1.9.
- ↑ The National Archives, Operational Selection Policy 27: UK Central Government Web Estate, supra note 110, ¶ 4.3.
