Digitisation of Paper Records

Introduction

The State Records Act 2000 permits State records to be reproduced in alternative formats. This includes converting information from film, tape, or paper into digital formats for electronic use. Reproduction may involve digitisation, conversion, or migration—sometimes incorporating multiple processes.

This Records Management Advice covers the digitisation of paper records and accompanies the General Disposal Authority for Reproduced Source Records GDA 2025-013.

Digitising paper records enhances accessibility, minimises reliance on physical storage, and boosts overall business efficiency. Additionally, digital records can be securely backed up, supporting disaster recovery strategies. Digitisation challenges include increasing costs of digital storage and vulnerability to security breaches.

For organisations new to digitisation, several key considerations must be addressed to ensure an effective change.

Planning for digitisation

A plan should outline how digitising will support organisational objectives and benefit stakeholders. It should outline the required resources, the proposed methodology for digitisation, the business units involved, and the strategies for identifying and mitigating any risks.

Consider the following factors when planning a digitisation process:

• the identification and mitigation of any risks.
• the specifications of hardware (scanners, servers) and software, Record Keeping System (RKS), Business Information System (BIS) and interoperability with other systems
• set-up and ongoing costs for equipment, software, staffing, storage
• what records you should digitise and when (e.g. new records, existing paper records, or records from a certain date onwards)
• when and where in the organisation the records will be scanned
• how will the records be stored
• how will you deal with large format, bound volumes, maps and plans etc.
• how quality assurance will be undertaken prior to disposal of the source records
• disposal of the original source records
• training and support for staff. 

Remember to set realistic timelines and milestones and include contingency plans for delays or issues.

Identifying records to digitise

Organisations should start by identifying which records to digitise. This may involve starting with a specific business unit, particular types of documents, or records created from a specific point in time. For example:

• focus on high-risk or high-volume records, such as human resource management records
• digitise specific incoming and outgoing records across business units
• implement organisation-wide digitisation in phases, starting with pilot programs.

When making this decision, consider both the retention period of the records and their ongoing business value. Some short-term records may be processed immediately upon receipt and may not require digitisation. Instead, these can be stored in their original format until they reach the end of their retention period.

Certain records such as bound volumes or large-format documents like plans and maps may require specialist equipment to digitise. These formats can pose practical challenges and may need alternative handling strategies.

Before proceeding with digitisation, conduct a comprehensive appraisal of your organisation’s records and assess how they support business functions.

If your organisation primarily operates in a digital environment, you might choose to digitise all records from a specific date forward to streamline processes.

Finally, ensure your organisation is aware of any legal or regulatory requirements that mandate retaining specific records in their original physical format.

Develop a defensible process

Your process will need to demonstrate that the digitised reproductions have the required degree of authenticity, integrity, reliability and usability necessary to replace the original records. Your CEO or delegated authority will need to approve and sign off on the process.

Evidence of a defensible process may include:

• clearly defined roles and responsibilities
• equipment testing and maintenance
• clear procedures and guidelines
• specific formats and technical specifications outlined
• training for staff involved in reproducing records
• quality assurance processes

Document any special measures to protect personal, sensitive or security classified information.

Digitisation specifications

Records must be digitised in accordance with the technical requirements for digitisation and long-term file formats as stated in the WA Government - Specification for Digitisation of State Records.

Please note: if scanning does not meet the requirements outlined in the specification, the digitised record would only be considered an access copy and could not replace the original paper record. This would require the original paper record to be kept for the full retention period as described in the General Retention and Disposal Authority for (State or local) Government Information (GRDA).

Capturing records

The reproductions must be registered or captured in an appropriate RKS or BIS at the time of reproduction.  

Ensure applicable metadata is added at this stage for indexing and retrieval. The State Records Office Records Management Advice – Metadata provides guidance on minimum metadata.

Remember to set any required permissions and security at this point. 

Quality Assurance

Checks should be made to ensure the digitised version has the same degree of authenticity, integrity, reliability and usability as the original record from which it was digitised.

When checking the digitised records make sure:

• the entire document has been digitised including any text under post-it notes and the post-it note itself
• all the pages have been digitised and are in correct order
• even the smallest detail is clear and readable
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, if used, has captured all the text in the document
• all the colours appear consistent with the original if colour is necessary.

Make sure there are procedures in place for re-scanning documents that did not meet quality checks.

Managing digitised records

Once a record has been digitised, the digital version becomes the official record. It must be managed in accordance with the State Records Commission’s standards for the entire retention period.

Managing original (source) records

After scanning, consider how the original (source) records will be managed. Determine how long they should be retained to allow for quality assurance (QA) checks and any necessary re-scanning.

Unlike normal disposal processes, there is no requirement to list each reproduced record individually. Instead, your procedures should state that all original records will be destroyed following successful QA. The CEO’s approval of this process serves as a standing authorisation for disposal.

If your organisation chooses to retain certain originals for a longer period, ensure they are clearly marked as copies and include the document number to help locate the official digital version.

See the workflow in Figure 1. below that demonstrates scanning incoming correspondence.

Figure 1. Digitisation of correspondence

Communicate

Finally, ensure the transition to digitisation is clearly communicated across the organisation. Share the reasons behind the change, highlight the benefits, and explain how it will affect roles and responsibilities. Clear communication will help build understanding, support, and engagement throughout the process.

When rolling out the change you should also:

• plan training for staff and change management in line with their roles
• have efficient and easy to follow procedures in place
• anticipate questions
• address concerns
• encourage feedback

See also     

State Records Commission - General Disposal Authority for Reproduced Source Records

Western Australian Government - Specification for Digitisation of State Records

Sources

The SRO acknowledges the following sources used in the development of this records management advice:

Queensland Government, Digitise physical records, https://www.forgov.qld.gov.au/information-technology/recordkeeping-and-information-management/recordkeeping/maintain-physical-records/digitise-physical-records (accessed 5 September 2025).

State Records NSW, Planning for business process digitisation, https://www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/recordkeeping/sentence-and-dispose/digitisation-of-records/planning-business-digitisation (accessed 5 September 2025).