(a) General. Agencies must transfer documentation adequate to identify, service, and interpret the permanent electronic records This documentation must include completed NARA Form 14097, Technical Description for Transfer of Electronic Records, for magnetic tape media, and a completed NARA Form 14028, Information System Description Form, or their equivalents. Agencies must submit the required documentation, if electronic, in an electronic form that conforms to the provisions of this section.

(b) Data files. Documentation for data files and data bases must include record layouts, data element definitions, and code translation tables (codebooks) for coded data. Data element definitions, codes used to represent data values, and interpretations of these codes must match the actual format and codes as transferred.

(c) Digital geospatial data files. Digital geospatial data files must include the documentation specified in paragraph (b) of this section. In addition, documentation for digital geospatial data files can include metadata that conforms to the Federal Geographic Data Committee's Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, as specified in Executive Order 12906 of April 11, 1994 (3 CFR, 1995 Comp., p. 882) (Federal geographic data standards are available at http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/standards__publications).

(d) Documents containing SGML tags. Documentation for electronic files containing textual documents with SGML tags must include a table for interpreting the SGML tags, when appropriate.

(e) Electronic records in other formats.

(1) This paragraph (e) applies to the documentation for the following types of electronic records:

(i) E-mail messages with attachments;

(ii) Scanned images of textual records;

(iii) Records in portable document format (PDF);

(iv) Digital photographic records; and

(v) Web content records.

(2) Guidance on the documentation for electronic records in these formats is available online at http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/policy/transfer-guidance.html or by contacting NARA, by mail at National Archives and Records Administration; Electronic Records Division (RDE); 8601 Adelphi Road; College Park, MD 20740-6001, or by email at etransfers@nara.gov.

[74 FR 51014, Oct. 2, 2009, as amended at 83 FR 13656, Mar. 30, 2018]