In a Nutshell

In order for records to maintain meaning an appropriate context must be maintained.

The context contains the who, what, where, when and how of the email and refers to the business activity for which the record was created.

In Depth

• Include a file reference in the subject line of the email as this indicates that it is a business message.
• Create a corporate file on projects or undertakings as soon as possible.
• If you are unsure how to create a corporate file, or obtain a file reference, you may need to consult your agency's record management procedures or recordkeeping staff.
• The email subject line should be a summary of the document or an action statement and could also contain a file reference e.g. 'Agenda for Meeting 14/1/2005 - File Ref: ABC1001/05'.
• Avoid using author aliases or 'nicknames'.
• Capture header and transmission information such as origin, dispatch, delivery and acceptance.
• A unique number should identify each email. You will need to consult your agency's recordkeeping procedures to determine the protocol for this.

Roll your mouse over the highlighted area for some pointers on email creation.

Questions

Click here to check your understanding.

Policy

Click here to link to the policy.

Management

Do your current emails that are public records identify the context in which the message was created?

Record Staff