39. Accessible, Durable, and Privacy-Aware Documents

39.1 Make structure navigable

Use real headings, meaningful link text, logical reading order, and clear table headers. A citation should remain understandable when read aloud or copied as plain text. Avoid relying on color alone to distinguish source categories or review status. Readers should be able to identify a source from the text even when a hyperlink is unavailable.

39.2 Preserve searchable text

A scanned PDF can look readable while containing inaccurate or absent text extraction. Check searches for names, section numbers, and quoted phrases. OCR output should be compared with the image where accuracy matters. Do not assume that a successfully opened PDF is searchable or accessible.

39.3 Use links as an additional route

Link to the particular source or provision when possible, while retaining a recognizable written citation. Verify the destination after export. Links may break, require authentication, or change content; the source identity should survive those changes. If an archive is appropriate, verify what it actually preserved.

39.4 Review redactions and hidden material

Follow the applicable filing and privacy requirements for the document. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 specifies privacy protections and exceptions in its setting; other rules and orders may govern particular materials. Official Civil Rules, rule 5.2.

A black rectangle placed over text does not necessarily remove the underlying text. Check the delivered file, extracted text, metadata, comments, attachments, and layers using an appropriate redaction workflow. A citation should not reveal a protected identifier through a filename, bookmark, or linked private document.

39.5 Preserve a usable long-term record

Retain the delivered version, source packets, and review notes in authorized storage. Use descriptive filenames and checksums where useful. A checksum helps identify an unchanged file; it does not prove that its legal content is correct. Record the scope of the final check and the date of the last source review.

The objective is a document that remains intelligible after software, websites, and personnel change. Written source identity, stable locators, clear structure, and honest version notes are the core of that durability.