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How do I deal with handwritten or paper records in my data?
Decide whether the records are worth digitising, then capture them with a structured form or scan and extract the data, and always validate it. Optical character recognition can help with printed documents, but handwriting typically needs human checking, so plan for review rather than trusting it blindly.
Practical approach:
- Replace paper with a simple digital form or spreadsheet with validation going forward.
- For backlogs, prioritise records that matter for reporting or compliance.
- Use scanning plus OCR for typed documents, and double entry or sampling checks for handwritten ones.
- Record the source document reference for each row so errors can be traced.
Paper records containing personal information must still be handled with care under laws such as POPIA or GDPR, including secure storage and disposal.
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