Electronic Records

Although the majority of archival materials are still paper-based, the amount of electronic records entering archives is increasing. Because these records are machine-readable, archives may not always be able to retrieve the information on the electronic media if they do not have the proper equipment or software, or if the files have been damaged. Whether the electronic records are in the form of e-mail, databases, text documents, spreadsheets, digital images, or webpages, archives look for metadata, or information about the records, to help them better understand the content and context of the materials they have received. Since electronic records are, in most cases, simply an alternate format of evidence traditionally created in paper form, they can be either a primary or secondary source depending on when, how, and why they were created.

For example, an e-mail is a form of correspondence and is most likely a primary source. A digitized edition of a book written in 1950 about the history of the American Civil War (1861-1865), however, would be a secondary source.