Which sequence correctly lists the five phases of the record and information life cycle?

Which sequence correctly lists the five phases of the record and information life cycle?

• A. creation, internal use, decisions, filing and retrieval and disposition
• B. creation, distribution, use, maintenance and disposition
• C. creation, reference, protection, transfer and distribution
• D. use, maintenance, receipt of a record, destruction and transfer

Answer: (B)

The sequence follows the natural flow of how records are handled from birth to end of life. After a record is created, it is typically distributed so the right people or systems can access it. Once distributed, it can be used by those who need it. As it is used and stored, it enters a maintenance phase where it is managed—secured, indexed, retained according to policy, and kept usable over time. Finally, the record reaches disposition, where it is destroyed or transferred to an archive according to retention schedules. This order—creation, distribution, use, maintenance, disposition—matches how information is typically shared, used, safeguarded, and eventually retired. Other options mix in nonstandard activities or place steps in illogical orders (for example, treating receipt or decisions as separate lifecycle phases or placing use before distribution), which disrupts the conventional flow of record management.

The sequence follows the natural flow of how records are handled from birth to end of life. After a record is created, it is typically distributed so the right people or systems can access it. Once distributed, it can be used by those who need it. As it is used and stored, it enters a maintenance phase where it is managed—secured, indexed, retained according to policy, and kept usable over time. Finally, the record reaches disposition, where it is destroyed or transferred to an archive according to retention schedules. This order—creation, distribution, use, maintenance, disposition—matches how information is typically shared, used, safeguarded, and eventually retired. Other options mix in nonstandard activities or place steps in illogical orders (for example, treating receipt or decisions as separate lifecycle phases or placing use before distribution), which disrupts the conventional flow of record management.