What is a record?
The AS/ISO Standard for Records Management 15489 defines a Record as: information created, received, and maintained as evidence and information by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business.
The Territory Records Act 2002 requires an agency to make and keep full and accurate records of its activities.  
These records must be maintained or managed by the agency to provide evidence of their business activities. Records can be in written, digital or any other form. In other words, all documents made or received by Territory agencies that are evidence of a business activity are records. As records they need to be maintained in a manner that allows for accountability of the processes and decisions of government.  They must also be a complete record, have content, context and structure, and accurately reflect what was communicated, decided or done. Content is the substance of the message, either in the body of the text or in an attachment to the message. Context includes all information about the circumstances in which the message is created, transmitted, maintained and used. Structure refers to the physical format and the relationships between the elements that make up the record.
Records may be in any form:
•	Paper, microfilm, digital;
•	Documents or files, maps, plans, drawings, photographs etc.;
•	Data from business systems, word-processed documents, e-mail, digital images;
•	Audio or video; and
•	Handwritten documents.
Common types of records with evidential value that will be found across government include:
•	Administrative records – policies, procedures, documentation, forms and correspondence. e.g. Staff manuals, rosters, travel bookings;
•	Accounting records – Invoices, bank account records, customer billing reports;
•	Project records – correspondence, notes, product development documentation; and
•	Case files – client records, personnel records, contracts and lawsuit files.
In addition to material that has administrative, fiscal and evidential value, documents that have historical or informational value are also kept as records. These records contain information that is not only of interest to the creating agency but also to researchers.