Authority comes first
Find the person who can approve a license and the agreements that govern the records. Possession of a file is not proof that you can license every element in it. Client work, licensed material, employee communications and third-party datasets can carry separate obligations.
History should be demonstrable
Check the oldest exportable record in each system rather than the company’s founding date. Acquisitions, migrations, plan changes and retention settings can create gaps. Record date ranges and missing periods in an inventory.
Useful work has context
Task descriptions are more useful when connected to decisions, revisions and outcomes. Preserve relationships between tickets, messages, documents and attachments where allowed. Isolated exports may be easier to prepare, but lose the context that explains why a decision happened.
A fit assessment is not a guarantee
Providers have different interests and selection criteria. A public eligibility statement is only a starting point. Ask what is required, what is optional, what must be excluded, and how a rejected sample will be deleted or retained.
Sources & further reading
- FTC: Protecting personal information
- ICO: Anonymisation guidance
- U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright basics
Provider statements are attributed claims, not audited outcomes. Reviewed 19 October 2026.