I would be concerned with assigning retention periods based on media and
application type.  As  mentioned by other learned listserve members,
retention periods are assigned based on the content or subject matter.  This
is all derived from the life cycle of information which is:
1. IM Planning
2. Collection, Creation, Receipt and Capture
3. Organization
4. Use and Dissemination
5. Maintenance, Protection and Preservation
6. Disposition
7. Evaluation

We also have to be careful, now that most of us work in an electronic
environment, that we don't treat electronic information any different then
paper. It doesn't matter.  The storage and preservation techniques may be
quite dissimilar, however the retention periods are one and the same.

In conclusion, we also must not confuse the classification processes of
records with the retention and disposition processes.  The classification
processes can be based on subject, content, function etc.  They can be
assigned numerical values, alpha values, combinations of both and many other
methodologies.  This is not the retention and disposition process, which is
based on content and obtained through legislative, historical etc.
requirements.  These processes allow us to retain our corporate memory, to
preserve our national and historical records for perpetuity.

Just a couple of comments.  Cheers.  Have a great day.


John A. Gervais
Program Manager
Policy and Standards Section
Information Policy and Governance Division
Intergovernmental and International Affairs Directorate
Policy and Planning Branch
Canada Revenue Agency
25 Nicolas Street, 16th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0L5

' 1-613-688-9302
* mailto:[log in to unmask]
"  http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance