Organising and structuring information
Organising and structuring information means planning and continuously maintaining the systems we use to manage retrieve the information we need.
Order and tidiness
Stockholm University handles public records and information that must be accessible to the public. It is therefore crucial to keep the records in order so that they can be found and disclosed.
All staff must be aware of their role in keeping records and information in order to facilitate the daily work of the University, as well as for the retrieval and disclosure of records. On this page, you will find advice on how to ensure the best possible management of your records and information.
Checklist for good order
To help you evaluate how well your records are organised, we have created a checklist. Keep in mind that both digital and physical records should be kept in order!
- I know what type and which records I have
- I know that the records are clearly labelled/named
- I know where the records are located
- I know how to handle and store the records correctly
- I know how to retrieve the records when needed
- I know that staff can find and retrieve the records if I am away
Find out more about how you, as a records manager (arkivvårdare), can keep your department's or administrative office’s records and information organised:
Rollbeskrivning för arkivvårdare (only available in Swedish)
What do I have to save and what can I throw away?
In short, public records are those that have to be kept for a certain period of time or preserved forever (in an archive) and to which the public has a right of access.
Some documents, such as concepts or drafts, are not considered public records. These should not normally be kept unless they contribute significantly to the understanding of other records.
Read more about what records are and the difference between documents, records and public records: Records and public records
For more information on which records to keep, preserve or destroy: Records retention schedule
Culling/weeding (Rensa)
By “culling/weeding” we mean deleting/destroying material, documents and records that are not public records and therefore should not be kept.
In particular, we think of culling/weeding as cleaning up amongst your documents.
Deletion/destruction (Gallra)
By “deletion/destruction” we mean deleting/destroying public records.
Note: This may only be done under certain conditions. For example, public records of minor or temporary importance can be deleted, such as invitations and advertisements.
Secure storage of information
Both analogue and digital records should be handled with security in mind. By security we mean that:
- access should be limited and controlled
- records should be protected from dirt, moisture and pests
- records should be protected from cyber threats
The information/record must be stored in a way that ensures it cannot be destroyed, manipulated or stolen. It is an important requirement that the University can demonstrate that public records are authentic and are accessible.
Tip! It is best not to eat or drink while handling records as they may become stained or destroyed.
Organise your digital records
To keep your electronic records organised while you work, we recommend that you:
- Start from a clear folder structure where records for archiving and records due to be deleted after a retention period (gallringsfrist) are kept separately.
- Use the Records retention schedule as the basis of your folder structure. This will make transfer to the department’s digital local archive (digital närarkiv) easier.
- Use main folders and sub-folders to distinguish between record types.
- Consider who should have authorisation to access records within the folder structure.
- Use file formats that are suitable for archiving, for example PDF/A.
- Use clear, descriptive and unique folder- and file names.
- Do not print and/or download records due to be preserved from the University’s business systems.
Keep in mind that emails are digital records.
For more information and examples, see Digitala närarkiv (only available in Swedish)
For researchers and doctoral students, see Archiving research information
Organise your analogue records
Analogue records, such as paper documents, should be kept organised and searchable. They may be located in offices, local archive storage (närarkiv) or joint spaces in your workplace.
To create order among analogue records, we recommend that:
- Records to be preserved for archiving should be placed in separate binders, boxes or other storage facilities from records that can be deleted/destroyed after their retention period (gallringsfrist).
- Binders, boxes, etc. should be clearly labeled with their contents.
- The local records manager, registrar and to some extent colleagues at your workplace should be able to understand your order and find records if they need them, for example to answer questions or in the case of a request for disclosure of a public record.
For researchers and doctoral students, see Archiving research information