A record type is a categorization of records based on common
features among the records. You use record types when a group of records
existing in a record category or record folder should have a disposition
schedule that is different from the one currently associated with
the record category or record folder. For example, it might be necessary
to keep an employee record file for 12 years for accounting or payroll
purposes. However, for performance appraisal records that need to
be retained for only 7 years, you can create a record type with a
different disposition schedule. You can associate performance appraisal
records with this record type to ensure that appraisal records are
destroyed before an employee record file.
For more information on how disposition schedules are associated
with a record, see
Disposition schedules.
Note that you can search for and retrieve records based on their record
type. A record type can be applied to a record in the following ways:
If you configure a default record type for a class, but do not
display the record type metadata during declaration, then the default
record type is always used for the class (the user is unaware that
a record type is being used and does not have to select both a record
class and a record type). Alternatively, you can configure a default,
but give the user the option to choose a different record type, or
you can simply give the user the option to choose the record type
without configuring a default.