Active data is information residing on the direct access storage media of computer systems, which is readily visible to the operating system and/or application software with which it was created and immediately accessible to users without undeletion, modification or reconstruction (i.e., word processing and spreadsheet files, programs and files use [..]

Active records are records related to current, ongoing or in process activities and are referred to on a regular basis to respond to day-to-day operational requirements. An active record resides in native application format and is accessible for purposes of business processing with no restrictions on alteration beyond normal business rules.

An application is a collection of one or more related software programs that enables a user to enter, store, view, modify or extract information from files or databases. The term is commonly used in place of "program" or "software." Applications may include word processors, Internet browsing tools and spreadsheets.

Archival data is information that is not directly accessible to the user of a computer system but that the organisation maintains for long-term storage and record keeping purposes. Archival data may be written to removable media such as a CD, magneto-optical media, tape or other electronic storage device, or may be maintained on system hard drives [..]

Archives are long term repositories for the storage of records. Electronic archives preserve the content, prevent or track alterations and control access to electronic records.

An attachment is a record or file associated with another record for the purpose of storage or transfer. There may be multiple attachments associated with a single "parent" or "master" record. The attachments and associated record may be managed and processed as a single unit. In common use, this term refers to a file (or files) [..]

An attribute is a characteristic of data that sets it apart from other data, such as location, length, or type. The term attribute is sometimes used synonymously with "data element" or "property."

(Acronym for American Standard Code) ASCII is a code that assigns a number to each key on the keyboard. ASCII text does not include special formatting features and therefore can be exchanged and read by most computer systems.

The author of a document is the person, office or designated position responsible for its creation or issuance. In some cases, the software application producing the document may capture the author's identity and associate it with the document.

To create a copy of data as a precaution against the loss or damage of the original data. Most users backup some of their files, and many computer networks utilise automatic backup software to make regular copies of some or all of the data on the network. Some backup systems use digital audio tape (DAT) as a storage medium.