A record must be findable for a specific reason
“It is in the maintenance folder” is not enough when several documents have the same title. A useful office index lets an authorised user move from a question to one identifiable record and then to its confirmed location. This lesson uses twelve wholly fictional, non-personal documents about equipment maintenance and room bookings. The cards contain no actual customer, employee or learner information.
An identifier distinguishes a record; a subject explains what it concerns. Its document date is not necessarily its arrival date. Its location says where the controlled record was last confirmed. Its workflow status says what stage it has reached. None of these fields, alone, proves authenticity or approval. National Archives guidance on organising digital files supports consistent names and useful identifying information; the detailed index and access rules here are an original classroom design.
Receive the document before assigning meaning
The fictional Willow Workroom uses sequential identifiers R01 to R12. Each arrival is logged once. The identifier stays attached when the title, status or location changes. “Maintenance note” can be a useful title without being unique. If two arrivals appear to be copies, retain their distinct arrival evidence until a comparison establishes their relationship; do not silently discard one.
The following table is both the twelve document cards and the complete opening index. Each row supplies all retrieval fields needed for the cases. Dates use year-month-day. “Approved” records have the approval reference written on the fictional card; an ordinary storage location is not an approval reference. M1 and B1 are controlled paper drawers, D1 is a controlled digital collection, and T1 is the facilities work tray.
| ID | Document title | Subject key | Document date | Received | Status / evidence | Confirmed location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R01 | Maintenance note | Printer P1 | 2026-09-01 | 2026-09-02 | Open | Paper M1 |
| R02 | Maintenance note | Projector J1 | 2026-09-01 | 2026-09-02 | Open | Paper M1 |
| R03 | Inspection checklist | Printer P1 | 2026-09-03 | 2026-09-03 | Checked / CK03 | Digital D1 |
| R04 | Booking request | Room A / 15 September | 2026-09-04 | 2026-09-04 | Pending | Paper B1 |
| R05 | Booking confirmation | Room A / 15 September | 2026-09-05 | 2026-09-05 | Approved / AP05 | Digital D1 |
| R06 | Inspection checklist | Projector J1 | 2026-09-05 | 2026-09-06 | Unchecked | Paper M1 |
| R07 | Service schedule | Fan F1 | 2026-09-06 | 2026-09-06 | Planned | Digital D1 |
| R08 | Booking request | Room B / 18 September | 2026-09-07 | 2026-09-07 | Pending | Paper B1 |
| R09 | Booking amendment | Room A / 15 September | 2026-09-08 | 2026-09-08 | Pending | Paper B1 |
| R10 | Service completion | Fan F1 | 2026-09-09 | 2026-09-10 | Awaiting check | Paper M1 |
| R11 | Room inspection | Room B | 2026-09-10 | 2026-09-10 | Checked / CK11 | Digital D1 |
| R12 | Equipment register extract | Printer P1 and Projector J1 | 2026-09-11 | 2026-09-11 | Reference copy | Digital D1 |
The fictional access rule gives the records clerk custody of the index. A facilities role may consult maintenance records; a booking role may consult room-booking records. Other access needs the coordinator’s approval. Paper issues require a record ID, receiving role, destination, issue time, due-back time and receipt acknowledgement. A digital consultation does not automatically transfer custody. These are supplied workroom rules, not claims about retention law.
Worked case 1: retrieve despite duplicate titles
The request is “Find the maintenance note for Projector J1 dated 1 September.” Searching only the title returns R01 and R02. Adding the subject key selects R02; the date confirms it. Its opening location is Paper M1 and its status is Open. The retrieval instruction should carry R02, not just “the note,” so another clerk can repeat the search.
A second route begins with all Projector J1 records: R02, R06 and R12. Filter by document type and date to reach R02 again. Agreement between the two routes helps expose indexing errors, but does not authenticate the document. R12 mentions the equipment too, yet it is a register extract, not the requested note.
Worked case 2: record an authorised handover
The facilities role is authorised to inspect R01. The supplied handover H14 records issue from M1 at 09:00 on 12 September, destination T1, receipt acknowledged at 09:03, and return due at 15:00. This evidence supports updating custody. It does not say the underlying maintenance job is complete.
| Field | Before | After H14 |
|---|---|---|
| Identifier | R01 | R01 |
| Location | Paper M1 | T1, facilities custody |
| Workflow status | Open | Open |
| Movement evidence | No issue recorded | H14; received 09:03; due 15:00 |
On a later confirmed return, record the new receipt time and location while keeping the H14 history. Do not overwrite the earlier issue as if it never occurred. The stable ID connects both events to the same document; a new location does not require a new identity.
Worked case 3: a missing handover is a gap
At 10:00, R06 is absent from M1. Someone suggests it “must be in T1,” but no issue entry or receipt is supplied. The index cannot truthfully change to “confirmed at T1.” Preserve “last confirmed: M1” and add “not found at 10:00; location check pending.” Ask the authorised custodian to compare the issue log and inspect the permitted locations.
A later fictional receipt H15 confirms R06 in T1 at 10:25. Now update the location, record the evidence and keep the gap visible. Neither event changes Unchecked to Checked. A proposed movement, a missing record and a confirmed receipt are three different states; collapsing them makes a tidy index less reliable.
Three solved practice tasks
Practice 1: retrieve an unresolved amendment
Task: Find the pending amendment for Room A’s 15 September booking. Answer: R09, dated and received 8 September, at Paper B1. R05 is an earlier confirmation, not evidence that R09 was approved. Quote the identifier and the pending status together.
Practice 2: distinguish two dates
Task: Which Fan F1 record arrived on 10 September, and what does its title prove? Answer: R10, dated 9 September, arrived on 10 September. Its title is Service completion, but its status is Awaiting check. The title alone cannot prove independent verification.
Practice 3: avoid a false movement
Task: An index editor types D1 for R08 without copying or checking the paper. Has the document become digital? Answer: No. A changed field is not movement evidence. Restore or qualify the unsupported entry, retain the correction record, and confirm the actual location through the authorised process.
Frequently asked questions
Why not use the title as the identifier?
Different documents can share a useful title. A stable unique identifier prevents the title from having to perform two incompatible jobs.
Must document date and receipt date match?
No. R10 was created on one date and received on another. Keeping both allows questions about either event to be answered accurately.
Is location the same as workflow status?
No. R01 can move to the facilities tray while remaining Open. Location concerns custody; workflow status concerns progress.
Does the newest document automatically replace an older one?
No. A later amendment may still be pending. Replacement or approval requires an explicit relationship and suitable evidence.
What should a missing record entry say?
State the last confirmed location, the failed retrieval time and the pending check. Do not turn an unverified suggestion into a confirmed location.
Does a digital folder prove authenticity?
No. Storage alone cannot show who authorised the document or whether its contents are genuine. This index is a retrieval aid.
Can everyone retrieve every indexed record?
No. The fictional role rule still applies. Knowing that a record exists does not itself grant permission to consult or move it.
References
U.S. National Archives: organising files and identifying information. The teaching cases, questions, tables and answers are original.
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