Email and Instant Messaging as Records - Frequently Asked Questions
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When is email a record?
When email contains information that reflects JPL business or project key decisions, analyses, tests, and
deliverables, it is a record. Email should be managed in a way consistent with how you manage other documentation.
Email that is a record should be maintained in accordance with the JPL Records
Management Requirement.
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When is email NOT a record?
Email is not a record when it:
- is still in draft
- is predecisional
- contains information from external sources that is used for informational purposes only
- is a copy and not the original
Who is responsible for capturing the record?
In most cases the sender is responsible (as the originator of the record). He/she should capture the email in a repository or print and file
it when he/she create the message.
When the sender is not a JPL person, the recipient becomes responsible for capturing the email as a JPL record.
If the email is part of an ongoing discussion, use your judgment to determine at what stages in the discussion a copy of the email
should be captured, based on the significance of new information.
See the question on message threads below.
How should email be captured?
The basic requirements covering all records also apply to email messages. Messages sent should be captured as part of the
send process to ensure the original has not been modified in any way. However messages are stored, you must be sure they can be
accessed independent of an IT application. In addition, follow these guidelines when saving email:
- However you store the email, be sure it includes the full sender name, recipient, date, and time the message was sent or received
- If a message was sent to a distribution list, be sure individuals on the list are clearly identified
- If you are the sender on an email record, enter a subject line that clearly describes the message content
Options for storing email include:
- Save them on DocuShare or another electronic library system
- Save them to a shared drive
- Print them out and store them in a paper file
- Keep them on your hard drive (while this is an option, it should be used only
if the choices above are not available and only if the user has backup services on their computer)
The Electronic Library Service/DocuShare provides a storage mechanism whereby users can CC the collection in which they’d like to store an email they are sending, including attachments. Mail message attributes of email sent to DocuShare are automatically extracted and stored as attributes which are then available for advanced searches. Email can also be added to a collection in the same way any document is loaded into the system.
For details on how to use the CC function with DocuShare, click here.
Monarch is also commonly used for email storage.
How should attachments be handled?
If the email record included an attachment, save and store the attachment with the original email.
When using DocuShare to capture email, attachments will be captured as well.
How should message threads be handled?
If the email record is part of an overall message thread it is recommended that you ensure that all replies quote the original.
This is the most assured way of preserving the thread regardless of how the email is then captured and stored.
If you use DocuShare to capture your email, use Reply All to send the reply to the same collection as the original. A View Thread option is available.
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Do listservs automatically capture the record?
Some listservs are available at JPL, such as those available through Monarch, that provide automatic
storage and retention of email. Capture and archiving functionality is typically selected when configuring the properties of the email distribution list.
This is true of the listserv capability provided by the OCIO. See the OCIO-provided listserv for details.
How should email message receipts be handled?
If, in sending messages, you have requested receipts when a recipient opens the email, maintain the receipts with the record.
When does instant messaging constitute a record
Instant Messages (IM) are similar to email in that if the message contains decisions, analyses, tests, deliverables, or are used in any way to substantiate your work, it is a record. Because of the informal and sometimes cryptic nature of instant messages, significant content
should be transcribed or captured in another format as needed.
How long should electronic communications be maintained?
Email, as with any record, should be maintained according to the retention requirements in the JPL Records
Management Requirement.
Who should I contact if I have questions?
Contact the JPL Records Manager via email at records@jpl.nasa.gov or by phone at extension 4-5469.
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