To keep or not to keep: Automating appraisal and selection at the National Archives of Australia

Abstract

This paper outlines the approaches tested and implemented by the National Archives of Australia to use technology to automate the traditional archival process of appraisal and selection. The Archives is investigating how retention and disposal schedules can be implemented by business information systems with no, or limited, involvement by records creators and users. In 2014, an automated approach was employed in a whole-of-government system. The system is fully compliant with ISO 16175 and automatically applies decisions to select permanent records for transfer to the Archives and temporary records for destruction. The paper describes the history of the system and its functionalities with particular emphasis on appraisal and selection of records.