PROJECT TAKEN BACK — DIGITAL RECORDS CHECKLIST
General educational information; not legal advice or a guarantee of admissibility.

[ ] Keep the original file or export from the source whenever possible.
[ ] Make a separate working copy for notes, organization and appropriate redaction.
[ ] Save a backup in a separate secure location.
[ ] Record the device, account or service the record came from.
[ ] Record when and how you obtained the record through lawful access.
[ ] Preserve dates, times, participants, surrounding messages and attachments.
[ ] Keep original filenames and metadata when possible.
[ ] Use descriptive working-copy filenames, e.g. 2024-04-16_email_notice_working-copy.pdf.
[ ] Label dates as exact, approximate or unknown instead of guessing.
[ ] Do not edit or overwrite the original record.
[ ] Share only what is appropriate, through an authorized private channel.

A hash or preserved file does not itself prove authorship or authenticity.
Court rules and source-specific export procedures vary; confirm them with a qualified source.