This step could be easy or it might be cumbersome depending on how your records are organized. If you know you need to redact certain records and you have the regulation that describes the specifics to follow, you’ll need to identify the specific file that contains the text that needs to be redacted. This way, if you’re ever unsure about redacting data you’ll have the specific document in front of you to reference. If you’re not sure why you’re redacting text and data, then you probably shouldn’t be doing it!Ī good practice is to have a copy of the statute/order/regulation, or whatever directive is saying you have to redact certain data and sensitive information, on hand and accessible. We’re assuming that you already know this since you’re looking up the different ways to redact a document, but just wanted to be sure. You definitely want to understand what information has to be redacted and why. What are the first steps in the document redaction process? If you redact one, it makes sense that you should redact the other, right? If this is overlooked then you might think that you’ve properly redacted a document, when in reality another version exists with the information visible. This can be multiple hard copies, a hard copy and digital, or multiple digital copies. Something that can be overlooked when redacting information is if you have multiple copies of a record. Use the old carpenter wisdom: “measure twice, cut once.” Redaction can be permanent, so be certain that the information you’re going to remove is the right information! If hard copy, blacking out and covering up data is one and done since you can’t remove the ink, but even in digital there are ways to permanently redact data and not have the ability to restore the information. However, you could still have the ability to remove the redaction if a situation comes up that requires it.
In this case, you might have the digital images redacted so that the public users can’t see it. An example scenario is that you have digital files that are available to both your staff and the public, but the public isn’t allowed to see certain information. Removing redactions from hard copy isn’t possible, but if your records are in digital format then you might have the ability to remove a redaction for various reasons. What you should know before redacting a documentįirst things first: in your office, who has the ability to make text redactions? If you’re redacting data on hard copy files, is there someone that gives approval to proceed? If your records are in electronic format, who has the necessary permissions to digitally redact information? There’s probably a hierarchy of who’s allowed to redact documents, and who’s allowed to give permission to do so, and this is the first thing you should find out.
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