Keep a field log for digital records
For investigators and legal teams reviewing digital records.
What should I capture when a public page or downloadable file may matter later?
Record what you saw, when and where you saw it, how you obtained the item and every change or transfer after collection. Keep the preserved item separate from any marked-up copy. Identify what further evidence could connect the item with its claimed source.
Capture the source as it appeared
Assign an item number. Record the collector, date, time and time zone, page title, complete source address, route used and any access limits. Describe what was visible, including cut-off text, unavailable attachments or a page date shown by the publisher. Distinguish the collection time from the date the page claims the event occurred.
If a public agency posts a PDF, preserve the download and the page that linked to it, using approved storage. A cropped screen image can lose the title, source address and qualifications beside the item. Keep a wider capture for context and give any later crop its own identifier.
Track custody and edits
Record the saved filename and storage location. If the workflow uses SHA-256, record the file’s fingerprint at collection and compare it after transfer. NIST’s digital-evidence guidance explains how hashes and custody records support integrity checks. Matching fingerprints support a finding that the compared files have the same content. They do not identify the author or establish whether the statements are accurate.
Keep the collected copy intact and document transfers by person, date and purpose. If a file changes or a fingerprint fails to match, retain the competing copies and log the discrepancy. Extracted text, enhanced images and translations each need a link back to the item they came from.
Write the authentication question
State the claim at the narrowest defensible level. For example, the collector can describe how a specific PDF was obtained from a specific page. Identifying the document’s signer or whether the file is the final adopted version may require the custodian, a signed original or other evidence. Federal Evidence Rule 901 describes the showing for authentication in proceedings where it applies.
Worked example
Illustrative example. A city page links to “Inspection report,” but the downloaded document is stamped “Draft.” Save the page and PDF as related items, record collection time and preserve the stamp in the description. Ask the custodian for the adopted version. A clean fingerprint for the draft does not resolve whether the inspection findings became final.
Primary sources
Related work at Agentic Attorney
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