MREC-18 · MILITARY RECORDS LIBRARY
Source Record Catalog & Digital Preservation
MREC-18: The catalog and preservation layer that gives each source a stable identity, provenance, locator, supported proposition, express limits, evidence status, and derivative lineage.
What this record can establish
What source is held; where it came from; what version/derivative exists; what proposition it supports; what limits and conflicts remain; what research action is next.
What it does not establish automatically
A catalog entry is metadata about evidence, not independent corroboration. Multiple scans, OCR files, excerpts, or transcriptions derived from one source remain one source lineage.
Preservation package
Original/source copy; cryptographic hash where appropriate; stable ID; repository; creator; dates; exact locator; acquisition note; permissions/access; derivatives; OCR/transcription history; backup.
Minimum source metadata
- Stable source ID and record class
- Creator or issuing office
- Document date and covered period
- Subject identifiers
- Repository and exact locator
- Provenance or acquisition note
- Proposition supported and express limits
- Evidence-status code and derivative/OCR/transcription lineage
Evidence testing
- Identity: Is the record tied to the correct person, unit, platform, or event?
- Chronology: Separate document date, effective date, event date, and covered period.
- Institutional purpose: Understand why the record was created and what it was designed to record.
- Corroboration: Seek independent records; copies and derivatives from one source do not create independence.
Evidence status key: D1 direct primary; D2 corroborated primary; S1 authoritative secondary; S2 credible secondary; I inference; C conflict; U unverified; N negative research result.
Connected Life Record chapters
- MLR-01 — Before Service
- MLR-02 — Entry & Oath
- MLR-03 — Training & Qualifications
- MLR-04 — Compensation & Financial Record
- MLR-05 — Education
- MLR-06 — Career, Assignments & Deployment
- MLR-07 — Family & Dependents
- MLR-08 — Medical, Injury & Disability
- MLR-09 — Vehicles, Travel & Transportation
- MLR-10 — Legal, Discipline & Administrative Record
- MLR-11 — Separation & Transition
- MLR-12 — Retirement
- MLR-13 — Veteran Lifetime
- MLR-14 — Death
- MLR-15 — Survivors
Related navigation guides
Retrieval and authority status
This page defines the evidence family and preservation method. Repository-specific access rules, privacy limits, request forms, retention schedules, service/era differences, and governing authorities must be verified for the particular record before treating retrieval instructions as final. Start with current official repositories and the linked Navigation Guides.
