AbstractIt is a truism to state that the best field work is valueless unless it is adequately recorded but it is not always fully appreciated that the lasting quality of such work is considerably diminished unless it is stored in a manner permitting rapid and accurate recovery. It is further true to say that the best-kept Records Office has little value unless there is clear indication of what is contained therein; no matter how orderly and systematic the storage of records, one cannot search for a record unless one is aware of its existence. Finally the system applied is intended to outlast the designer who evolved it and so must be framed in such a general and obvious manner that it may be used freely and completely by any person with a reasonable knowledge of the relevant subject. Similarly, the record itself must be long-lived and particularly in tropical countries where material deterioration is rapid and the destruction risk is high, preservation presents a very real problem.