What is a “record”?
TIPPA defines a record as “information in any form, and includes information that is written, photographed, recorded, or stored in any manner, but does not include a computer program or a mechanism that produced records on any storage medium.” It includes handwritten notes and electronic correspondence or messages, which are in the custody or control of the public body. Not all records need to be kept by the public body. You can routinely discard transitory records, those that have only short-term, immediate or no value to your organization and that you wont need again in the future. If the information in a record will have some future administrative, financial, legal, research or historical value to the public body, then you should file the record. For example, e-mail messages that record approvals, recommendations, opinions, decisions or business transactions have future value, and are not transitory and should be filed. You can print and file them in your manual filing system or sto
• Section 1(q) of the FOIP Act defines a record as “information in any form and includes notes, images, audiovisual recordings, x-rays, books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers and papers and any other information that is written, photographed, recorded or stored in any manner, but does not include software or any mechanism that produces records”. • It includes handwritten notes and electronic correspondence or messages, which are in the custody or control of an institution. • Not all records need to be kept by an institution. You can routinely discard transitory records, those that have only short-term, immediate or no value to your organization and that you won’t need again in the future. For more information about transitory records, see the guide Official and Transitory Records: A Guide for Government of Alberta Employees.
By law, University records are any papers, books, photographs, tapes, films, recordings, or other documentary materials, or any copies thereof, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made, produced, executed, or received by any department or office of the University or by any academic or administrative staff member in connection with the transaction of University business, and retained by that agency or its successor as evidence of its activities or functions because of the information contained therein. University records include the data generated via automated information systems. If your office has developed a computer application to manage some particular facet of its operations, the information in that system is considered a University record, whether or not you generate any actual paper or hard copy from it. You are not, however, responsible for information systems such as the accounting information system for which your office does not bear major responsibility.
