Abstract: Systems and/or methods for establishing and maintaining authenticity of a plurality of records and/or documentary materials to be persisted in an electronic archives system are provided. Each record and/or documentary material may be safeguarded throughout its entire lifecycle by monitoring and recording both intended changes to each said record and/or documentary material and its corresponding status, as well as unintended changes to each said record and/or documentary material. Context and structure associated with each said record and/or documentary material may be extracted and preserved. Substantially uninterrupted proof-of-custody including at least a source may be established and preserved for each said record and/or documentary material throughout its entire lifecycle. Essential characteristics of each said record and/or documentary material may be captured and preserved throughout its lifecycle in dependence on one or more changeable definitions of essential characteristic.

Abstract: A method for managing electronic records is provided. Each electronic record includes a data file, a plurality of data files, a portion of a data file, or portions of a plurality of data files. The electronic records include a plurality of record types and data file types. The method includes forming a data file set comprising one or more logically related data files; identifying attributes of each record type in a record type template; identifying specifications of each data file type in a data file type template; and extracting digital components from the data file set. The extracted digital components relate to the attributes in each record type template and the specifications in each data file type template and compose an individual record. An electronic record archive includes record type and data file type templates and a digital component extractor.