analog record

n. (also analogue record) a record on human-readable carrier media an electronic record that does not contain digital data a record that is either human-readable or that is an electronic record that does not contain digital data

Notes

The term analog record is most often employed as a synonym for paper record that is used to distinguish a digital record from a paper one. However, it is also used to distinguish between an analog versus a digital electronic record (the former in the sense that any record is electronic if it requires electricity to be perceived). The term is, finally, also used to mean any record that is not stored digitally, which could include records on paper, microfilm, or even clay tablets, as well as a record stored on nondigital electronic tape, disc, or wire. Some archivists argue, against the evidence of professional usage, that the only records that can be truly analog—in the narrower original sense—are predigital audio and video records.