06 / Make unknowns visible

Missing Record Gap Review

A gap describes what you have not located in your own archive. It does not establish whether an account exists, is closed or has any particular status.

Review archive questions

Use only the preset generic labels. Do not enter names, account or contract numbers, balances, Social Security numbers, dates of birth or document contents. No files are uploaded and nothing in these worksheets is sent to the publisher.

Mark a prompt that needs attention. These marks are reminders, not a completeness score. An unchecked prompt does not establish that a record is missing.

List the document categories you expected to find using generic labels.Notice whether the saved copies cover the periods you intended to review.Check whether each generic record set has a corresponding document category.Flag any unreadable or incomplete copy for a separate question.Distinguish a document not found from a document confirmed not to exist.Prepare a neutral question for the appropriate record keeper.

No worksheet has been saved by this page.

Start with generic labels only.

Edits remain on this page unless you choose Save in this tab. That button keeps only the worksheet’s generic values in session storage for this browser tab. Browser session restoration can retain a saved copy. Clear worksheet removes both the displayed worksheet and its saved tab copy. This tool does not use local storage.

The interactive worksheet needs JavaScript. All explanations and blank worksheet headings remain available below. Use your browser’s Print command for a paper copy, or open the blank printable toolkit. No online form is submitted.

Separate absence from uncertainty

“Not found in this folder” is different from “confirmed not to exist.” Keep that distinction when reviewing a personal archive. A document might be filed under a different period or category, while a record-specific question may require the responsible organization’s explanation.

This tool does not search accounts, retrieve documents or identify missing assets. It offers a way to organize questions about copies you expected to find. Do not treat the checklist as a list of documents that every arrangement must have.

Start with your purpose

Identify the document categories and time periods you intended to organize. Avoid assuming that every generic category applies to every record set.

Describe the uncertainty

In your own secure notes, distinguish an unclear heading, an incomplete copy and a document category you have not located.

Prepare one clear question

Ask what a particular official record covers or which document category can clarify the issue. Keep identifiers out of this website.