Protect your documents

Robust governance and data integrity are crucial components of excellence in animal care and use for scientific purposes, but so often in our work we come across unprotected and uncontrolled documents. This includes - but isn't limited to - meeting minutes, approved projects and amendments, reports, SOPs, policies and guidelines, and research data.

Here are some basic suggestions to support robust document management:

🔍 Convert sensitive Word documents to PDF format to prevent unintended changes and ensure document integrity.
🔒 Restrict permissions on digital documents, files or sites to limit access only to authorised personnel, maintaining confidentiality.
📄 Implement version control to track changes and updates, ensuring transparency and accuracy in documentation.
🗓 Include document approval details such as the approving body or authority, the approval date, and the expiry or review date.
💼 Provide ongoing training to staff on data protection policies and best practices for secure document handling.

Let's commit to these foundational document management practices to inspire excellence in animal care and and use scientific purposes.