Quality Control
The systematic inspection of digitized images and their metadata against defined standards to confirm each scan is complete, legible, accurate, and properly indexed before it is accepted as a usable record.
Quality control is the structured checking step in a digitization program where scanned images and their associated data are measured against documented standards before being accepted. Reviewers verify that every page of the source is captured, that resolution, color, and orientation meet specifications, that the image is legible and free of skew, cropping, or artifacts, and that index values, file names, and metadata correctly link the scan to the right record. In recordkeeping this matters because a digital surrogate often becomes the version people search, produce for FOIA or e-discovery, and ultimately retain or transfer; an error caught after the paper is destroyed may be unrecoverable. Quality control differs from quality assurance: assurance designs the process and standards up front, while control is the inspection that confirms output conforms. For example, sampling one in ten batches and re-scanning any image whose OCR text falls below an accuracy threshold is quality control. Strong programs document acceptance criteria, log defects, and require correction before captured images proceed to validation, indexing, or preservation.