How do I decide whether an email or document is actually a record or just reference material?

Deciding whether something is a record or merely reference material is one of the most common challenges in records management. The good news is that the decision rests on a few consistent principles rather than the format of the item. An email, a spreadsheet, a chat message, and a paper memo are all judged the same way: by what the item does, not where it lives.

Start with what makes something a record

A record is information created or received in the course of business that documents an activity, decision, transaction, or obligation. The key question is not “is this important to me?” but “does this provide evidence of what the organization did?” If the item captures a decision, authorizes an action, fulfills a legal or regulatory requirement, or documents how business was conducted, it is almost certainly a record and must be retained according to a schedule.

Reference material, by contrast, is information you keep for convenience or background. It informs your work but does not, by itself, document an official action.

A practical three-part test

Ask these questions about the item:

• Function: Does it document a business activity, decision, or transaction? Does it show that an obligation was met?
• Evidence: Would the organization need it to prove what happened, answer an audit, support litigation, or respond to a public-records or FOIA request?
• Uniqueness: Is this the official version, or just a copy of something already captured elsewhere?

If you answer yes to function or evidence, treat it as a record.

Common examples

Likely records: approval emails, signed contracts, policy decisions, financial transactions, correspondence that commits the organization.

Likely reference: drafts superseded by a final version, copies of published material, listserv announcements, personal calendar notes, and convenience copies of records owned by another office.

When in doubt

Apply your organization’s records schedule and policy, and err toward preservation rather than deletion. Disposition should follow an approved schedule, never personal judgment in the moment. For more foundational concepts, see the fundamentals topic hub. Consistent, principle-based decisions protect both the organization and the public interest.