Which statement best describes unaltered records in documentation integrity?

• A. Records that have not been changed or tampered with
• B. Records updated daily
• C. Records stored in one location
• D. Records that are summarized

Answer: (A)

Unaltered records are records that have not been changed or tampered with since they were created. In documentation integrity, the key is that the original information remains exactly as recorded, so anyone can verify what happened and when it happened. This reliability supports trust, accountability, and legal defensibility, and it’s typically protected by controls like restricted access, audit trails, and ways to detect any modification (such as digital signatures or hash checks).

Daily updates imply ongoing edits, which can introduce changes that break the idea of remaining in its original state. Storing records in one location addresses where data sits, not whether it’s been kept intact. Summarizing records removes detail and alters the exact content, which also undermines integrity.