Introduction
There are papers and documents that are of great importance to individuals and organizations, they need to be kept in safe and secured place. Documents are important for proving the certain events and actions that occur such as daily actions and events, important activities and financial operations. Documentation and keeping records usually require time in order to save documents correctly and safely. There are many types of documents and records such as paper documents, books, films and digital document. There are many benefits for keeping documents such as proving information, providing specific data about people, places and events, obtaining authorizations, providing indications for different activities and events. Keeping documents and records is important for helping people and organizations obtain papers and information at any time easily and perfectly. There are many methods for keeping documents and there should be a plan for doing this. The current paper is discussing the importance of keeping documents, different methods for keeping them and the benefits gained from keeping documents in addition to presenting the history of keeping documents and the updated techniques for keeping documents by individuals and different organizations in both public and private sectors. (LUBKIN AND Porter, 2013)
Discussion
History of keeping documents
Keeping documents began since human being knew writing and reading as in ancient Egypt, they used papyrus for keeping records and filing them and in ancient civilizations such as the Roman, they also used records for keeping legal documents, military papers and archaeological records. Documents developed then within time to include many different types of means and methods for keeping records and documents till it reached digital storage and digital documentation systems.
Documents' types and needs
During people's lives, they are in need to keep different certificates and important papers such as their birth certificates, marriage papers, licenses, financial papers such as those of transactions, insurance policies and social security records. Keeping documents need specific planning and techniques because there are many different systems for documentation and keeping records. Papers that are valuable for individuals and organizations can be classified into two main types which are daily needed papers and occasionally needed ones. Valuable papers that can be needed occasionally include schools and universities papers marriage papers, bank statements, credit card papers, blood analysis papers, health documentations, and health insurance cards. Papers that may be needed daily include identification cards, credit cards, driving licenses and birth certificates. These papers are difficult to be replaced, updated or changed when lost as there are many procedures for making this so they are in need for being kept safe and in areas where people can reach them easily and fast while other strangers can't reach them. There are many conditions that should be there in a place for keeping documents such as being fire-proofed, water proofed and accessible only by people who own them. Papers that are needed for medical purposes may be needed daily so they also should be kept safe and secured and accessible. Files can also be kept in electronic records that are easy for access and are put on specific electronic systems for storage such as hard of computer, portable storage devices, portable memories, files and CDs. (American Psychological Association, 2007). Paper records and documents yet should be kept in lock boxes, cupboards, roofs, purses, desks, wallets or libraries that are also water and fire proofed in order to be safe and away from harm. Regular review as well as documents filing are very important for keeping documents because it makes the person who keeps them or the organization is well aware of the papers that need to be replaced or updated via the governments or controlling authorities, it is also important for recognizing those documents that need to be discard. There should be limitation periods for those stored digital documentations in order to be readable and accessible till needed ant at any time. There should be hard copies of them and other stored on portable devices in order to avoid loss by different malfunction computer systems and storage devices. Documents need t be reviewed from time to time in order to be renewed and updated. Charts, spreadsheets, big files and large documents should be kept safe in specific areas organized with letters and dates in order to make it easier for reaching them. Dangers of thefts may be put into consideration when keeping documents. Documents should be classified before storage according to their type and the needs used for them, for example, there are identity papers, medical records, schools papers, jobs papers and identity papers. Organizing the papers and filing them is a good process for managing documents keeping and reaching them easily and correctly as this process saves time and effort. Keeping documents is necessary for many reasons because it can help people reach data easily, facilitates continuity in business organizations, enhance effective guidance and providing needed information for different relevant institutions. They can also help in helping researchers and agencies that seek information and guide them towards the right types of documents.
(Pryor, 2017)
Keeping documents safe
Financial transcripts, legal documents, important papers, medical records are all very important papers that are liable for loss and they are in need to be protected, they can be viewed and checked by managers and officials so they have to be accessed easily and they have to be protected from loss. Schools also keep their records and documents and should protect them safe. People may keep their important papers in drawers, cupboards or on shelves, organizations may keep them in large storing rooms or on computers and there should be specific means for keeping documents safe. Planning for keeping documents is very important to make them safe because many people see storing information as a haphazard process that takes a lot of time and effort and requires high efficiency so planning for it before doing it protects the documents from being lost or be at a mess. Planning should include dividing the documents into groups based on time, importance and type and then to classify them in spaces prepared for each category. Protection of documents should include different damage and loss elements such as floods, fires, theft, frauds and others and then preparations should be put into consideration within planning. They should be kept in places away from children, animals and thieves.
It is important to archive and back up the documents and photos and other relevant records as archiving them makes it better to reach them and easier. Photos and documents need to be scanned and kept as digital files that are also stored where people can access them when needed but in a way that ensures not being stolen by strangers or thieves. There should be safety measures and protecting tools such as safes, keys and numbers for each file. This can help reduce the time consumed for looking for files and documents. Digital files should be kept into folders that are organized and named according to the needs of the users and the types of files themselves. (Suter, 2003)
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to focus on the need for keeping documents and records as it is important for both individuals and organizations. People can get the required information as soon as they are organizing their records and preparing their documents to be reachable and accessible at any time. Records and documents should be kept safe away from children reach and they have to be well protected from thieves and malfunctions. It is important for organizations and individuals to keep their documents organized according to their types and times in order to make the process of reaching them easier and more effective. Keeping documents has been important since early times of history such as the Egyptian and the Romans. This means that it is very necessary for people and organizations to keep documents whether they are for daily use or for occasionally use. (Marinic, 2015)
Recommendations
It is recommended that people and organizations organize the process of keeping documents, they also have to make planning for it before starting keeping the documents. It is important to have copies of the important documents and keep them in safe places where they can't be reached by thieves and children. It is important to classify documents and date them in order to make it effective and easy. Organizations are recommended to scan all documents and keep digital copies of them in case of loss or fires or floods. There should be protective methods for keeping documents safe and ready for use. Individuals also are recommended to recopy documents and scan digital copies of them in order to avoid loss or return them in cases of loss. Business organizations can set plans for keeping and identifying and classifying documents in order to have access to them by managers and employees. This can improve the process of keeping documents and make it effective in order to let people gain the best benefits from keeping their documents, save time and effort consumed in looking for documents and trying to get them.
References
1. American Psychological Association. (2007). 'Record Keeping Guidelines.' http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/record-keeping.pdf
2. Marinic, M. (2015). ' The Importance of Health Records.' http://file.scirp.org/pdf/Health_2015052017531331.pdf
3. Porter, N. Kubin, L. (2013). ' Your Important Papers: What, Why, and How Long to Keep.' https://dspace.library.colostate.edu/bitstream/handle/10217/185125/AEXT_091652013.pdf?sequence=1
4. Pryor, L. (2017). 'What’s the point of documentation?.' https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1011/1011.1021.pdf
5. Suter, J. (2003). 'Documentation Basics.' http://www.archives.nysed.gov/common/archives/files/mr_pub79.pdf
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