Cleaning with cleanup lists

To perform a record or case cleanup, first review the cases and records currently listed by the cleanup searches of the “Data cleanup” window. This includes evaluating case metadata to look for potential errors and perhaps correcting these. Then the records or cases can be deleted using the cleanup list.

The following sections go over the cleanup process. Additionally, the built-in reporting options in F2 Data Cleanup are presented when relevant.

Review list contents

The cleanup task is based on a cleanup list generated by an existing cleanup search.

The cleanup task starts with an evaluation of the cleanup list contents to determine whether the records or cases are truly ready for deletion based on their metadata. Click the arrow next to a case in a cleanup list to expand it and show all its records. Double-click a record or case to open it.

It is also possible to generate a cleanup report with an overview of the cases and their records.

The preview shows the records’s or case’s responsible user or unit, making it easy to contact them and request changes to the metadata of any mislabelled records or cases identified in the list. This makes it easier to clean up the contents of the cleanup list and ensure that the wrong records and cases are not deleted by mistake.

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Figure 1. The “Data cleanup” dialogue

Cases and records can be manually removed from the list for later evaluation, though records cannot be independently removed from case cleanup lists. Select a record or case and click Remove from list in the ribbon. The process can be sped up by using the up and down arrow keys to navigate the result list and removing records and cases from the list with Delete. The cases are only temporarily removed. As long as the metadata of the record or the case (and its records) match the cleanup search parameters, it will be included when the cleanup list is next generated.

Generate cleanup report prior to deletion

During the cleaning process, it is possible to generate cleanup and deletion reports with an overview of the cleanup list contents. The reports help determine which records and cases to delete and make it possible to share the list of records and cases ready for deletion with users in F2 without granting them access to the data cleanup tools. In other words, report generation supports documentation and formal approval processes.

Click Create deletion report to generate a report. F2 automatically creates a new record titled “Deletion report for [number of] cases” or “Deletion report for [number of] records” and places the record in your inbox. For case cleanup lists, the record contains a PDF report for each case in the cleanup list, and the reports are all named “Deletion report for case [case title]”. For record cleanup lists, the record contains a single PDF report titled "Deletion report for [number of] records".

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Figure 2. Record containing deletion reports for two cases

The reports are titled “Case to be Deleted” or "Records to be Deleted" and describe the following:

  • Whether the case or record will be deleted during cleanup.

  • Any reason why the case or record cannot be deleted, e.g. due to its access level or registration status.

  • A selection of relevant record and case metadata.

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Figure 3. Deletion report describing case that cannot be deleted
The report templates are configurable, and each organisation’s layout may differ from the descriptions above. F2 is configured in cooperation with cBrain.

Delete list contents

Once the listed records and cases have been evaluated, and the list have been cleared of any records or cases listed by mistake e.g. due to errors in metadata, the items are ready for deletion. Click Delete listed items in the ribbon of the “Data cleanup” window. The dialogue shown below opens to confirm the deletion. In this dialogue it is also possible to generate a report detailing the deleted items.

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Figure 4. The dialogue “Delete all items on the cleanup list”

Tick the “Create deletion report” box to generate a deletion report as part of the deletion. These reports are created in much the same way as the reports created during cleanup.

Click Delete to initiate deletion. F2 will delete records and cases as a background process, making it possible to continue working meanwhile. Click Cancel to cancel deletion. No deletion report will be generated.

In certain situations records or cases may not be deleted. This applies to users cleaning up using the privilege “Limited access to data cleanup”. For instance, these users will be able to view records and cases to which they have read access in the cleanup list, but not delete them. They are also not able to delete registered records or cases with any registered records attached. The deletion report generated during deletion states whether a given record or case was actually deleted. Read more about the report in the section below.

Generate deletion report after deletion

Deletion reports can be created as part of the deletion process. They provide an overview of everything deleted and are useful in e.g. documentation or reporting. The reports are generated and attached to a new record, which F2 places in the user’s inbox similar to reports created prior to deletion.

The deletion reports are titled “Deleted Case” or "Deleted Record" and describe the following:

  • Whether the record or case was successfully deleted.

  • The cleanup list that the record or case was deleted as part of.

  • A selection of relevant record and case metadata. Any attached documents are listed by title and date of their latest change.

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Figure 5. Deletion report for a successfully deleted case