Records: keep the source intact.

Know what kind of record you have

An agency response, signed agreement, court filing, email export and photograph are different kinds of records. Identify the creator, custodian and purpose before interpreting one. A complaint records allegations; an order records a court’s decision within its scope. Read the actual text and procedural status.

A primary source is close to the event or process. A summary or news article is a secondary account. Neither label guarantees accuracy. Two articles repeating one source are not two independent confirmations.

Find and request the complete item

1. Write the record you need in concrete terms: document type, custodian, date range, file number and subject. Ask for existing records, not for an office to prove your conclusion.
2. Search the official custodian or portal first. Use Arizona Public Records for Arizona starting points. Record the search words, filters, date and result even if nothing is found.
3. Request the complete document, attachments and relevant versions. Keep your request, acknowledgment, fees, response and any stated reason for withholding.
4. On receipt, count pages/files and compare with the response letter or index. Log missing pages, broken downloads, redactions and unreadable scans.
5. Preserve each received version separately. A corrected or later document gets a new item ID linked to the older version; do not replace it silently.

Build an index that another person can use

One row per received item. Use the same ID on its intake sheet, working-copy filename, binder sleeve and timeline references. Suggested columns:

• Item ID; short neutral title; original filename or paper description.
• Creator/custodian; source URL or reference number; supplied by; collected by.
• Document date; received date/time and zone; version; page count or duration.
• Preserved location; working location; access restrictions; hash if used.
• Status: received / incomplete / requested / superseded / disputed.
• Related items, exact page/time references, gaps and next action.

Example—fictional: REC-001, “permit response,” supplied by the city portal, received September 9 at 10:15 −07:00, three pages. Status: incomplete because the response refers to an attachment that was not supplied. This does not establish why it is missing.

Store originals, working copies and public copies separately

1. Keep received files under 01_Originals/REC-001/ with their original names. Do analysis in 02_Working. Avoid overwrite prompts; cancel and choose a new ID folder instead.
2. For paper, keep unmarked originals in protective folders or sleeves in secure storage. Put photocopies in your working binder. Do not write exhibit numbers on someone’s original.
3. Use descriptive names for working copies: REC-001_permit-response_working_v01.pdf. Preserve the extension; renaming .jpg to .pdf does not convert a file.
4. Restrict access, use device encryption and maintain a separate backup appropriate to the sensitivity. A synced folder alone can propagate deletion. Periodically restore a sample copy to confirm the backup works.
5. For sharing, make a separate reviewed copy. Removing names visually is not sufficient if hidden text, annotations, metadata or attachments still disclose them. Test the exported result and obtain experienced help for sensitive redactions.

Use a hash to check file contents

A cryptographic hash is a calculated fingerprint of file bytes. Matching SHA-256 results support that two files have the same contents. They do not establish who created a file, when it was created, whether its statements are true, or whether it was already altered before you obtained it. Filesystem dates are not authenticated by a content hash.

Optional Windows check: open PowerShell and enter Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 -LiteralPath "C:\path\to\file.pdf", replacing the sample path. Save the entire result, tool, date and item ID in a separate integrity log. Repeat on the backup and compare every character. See Microsoft’s Get-FileHash reference.

If results differ, preserve both versions, record the mismatch and investigate the copying/conversion history. Do not overwrite either to make the numbers match. Hashing is optional for an everyday organizer; specialist preservation may be needed for disputed digital evidence.

Completeness check

Can you identify the custodian and version, find every referenced attachment, distinguish a quote from a paraphrase, and locate the preserved source? If not, flag the gap. “No result” is not the same as “no record exists.”