Which characteristic of a record ensures that it is a genuine and authentic representation of facts?

The characteristic of a record that ensures it is a genuine and authentic representation of facts is authenticity. Authenticity refers to the quality of being genuine and verifiable, which means that the record truly reflects what it purports to represent and has not been altered or tampered with. This concept is crucial in the realm of digital archives, as it ensures that the information can be trusted and used accurately for research, legal purposes, and historical documentation.

Authenticity encompasses several aspects, including who created the record, the context in which it was created, and the processes involved in its creation and maintenance. This makes it a primary concern when assessing the validity and trustworthiness of any record.

While integrity, reliability, and usability are important characteristics as well, they serve different roles. Integrity refers to the completeness and wholeness of the record, reliability speaks to the accuracy and trustworthiness of the content, and usability pertains to how easily the information can be accessed and understood. However, without authenticity, these other characteristics would not matter because the record itself would lack credibility. Thus, authenticity stands as the key criterion for ensuring a record's genuine representation of facts.