Digital Document Retention and Destruction Policies

The Centre's Digital Document Retention and Destruction Policies research project examines issues raised by the conversion of business documents to digital format, and decisions around their creation, retention, destruction and use in litigation and other processes.

This is of increasing importance given the growth of email as a mainstay of business communications, the complex mix of controlled and uncontrolled digital devices and systems, and the hybrid paper/digital office. Many are tempted to push this whole topic into the 'too hard' basket, but with the recent increase in expectations of corporate governance and IT risk management this is no longer a viable option.

Its first output is a 64 page White Paper launched on 23 November 2004 for use by the corporate governance, IT and legal communities. It is written to be accessible to practitioners in any of those disciplines, covering key issues and risks, potential solutions and methods for developing and implementing policies to support the solutions.

Cover of White Paper on Digital Document Retention Policies

Coping when everything is digital:
Digital Documents and Issues in Document Retention

Julian Gillespie, Patrick Fair, Adrian Lawrence and David Vaile (editor), 2004

A PDF version of the paper is available (4.5 Mb). An HTML version will follow.

Download the A4 version or the US letter version.

Partners in this project include:

For more information contact David Vaile d.vaile [at] unsw.edu.au