Records may be stored on electronic media if clear, legible, and duly authenticated copies can be produced on demand within the time frame for storage of the records. Records such as letters, drawings, and specifications, must include all pertinent information such as stamps, initials, and signatures. Electronic records of these types are most likely to be in the form of digitized images, as opposed to word-processing types of files, if the required authentication is to be included. Retained records are clear and easy to read. Retained records are accessible for review.
Retained records provide traceability of nuclear material data from source data to final records.
Entries on material transfer forms and receipts are not made in pencil, erased, or obliterated, and are only altered according to approved procedures. The number and types of records subject to inspection will vary between facilities. Based on the availability of inspector resources, and the number and types of records, it may not be practical to select all records for detailed inspection. If this is the case, the inspector may audit the accounting records by selecting a random sample of each type of record for an independent manual check, or by using some other recognized method for determining the correctness of the records. It should be expected that no system of records is perfect.