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Redactions from a piece
partial closure of a piece

When redacting information from an original document,
take the following steps

Remove the original document
containing sensitive information from the piece.

Insert a temporary place holder
to mark the position of the removed document.

Photocopy the original document - this is your first photocopy.

You can now redact the first photocopy

by blacking out or blanking out the sensitive wording on this photocopy.

Re-photocopy the first photocopy you have just blanked out.

This is done to safeguard against the possibility of
the sensitive information remaining decipherable,

as sometimes blanked-out words can still be read
if held against the light.

It is this second photocopy that is the redacted copy
that will be used as a replacement in the file.

Stamp the redacted replacement – your second photocopy
– with an appropriate stamp.

The stamp shows whether the information is closed under
a Freedom of Information, or FOI, exemption

or whether it is retained under section 3(4)
of the Public Records Act 1958.

Place the redacted copy back at the position marked by the place holder

and remove the temporary place holder from the piece.

Place the original document in a new 4-flap folder.

Prepare the folder following the process described in the video 'Preparing extracted records for transfer'.

Carefully safeguard the original documents.

They will either remain with the transferring department
or be sent to The National Archives as closed items.

Either shred your first photocopy or
place it alongside the original document in the 4-flap folder.

If you have more than one page to redact within the same piece

put all of the original documents in the same 4-flap folder