Describe the usable unit
Audio or video, transcripts, decisions and follow-up tasks. Explain whether the archive preserves the connections between records and the process they represent. File count alone does not show coverage, quality or usefulness.
Ask this before preparing a sample
Ask whether a transcript is sufficient, which participants are covered and how incidental personal information is handled.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Participant expectations, sensitive discussion and recording permissions. Check the actual contents, including hidden fields, metadata, embedded files and related records. Data minimization and de-identification are separate from confirming the right to license the material.
Evidence to bring to a fit discussion
Prepare a schema or category-level description, date range, approximate volume, export format, known gaps and exclusion list. Clearly distinguish measurements from estimates. Do not upload the underlying archive simply to obtain a preliminary opinion.
Compare the proposed use
Ask whether the provider wants training examples, evaluation material, retrieval content or a simulated environment. These are different purposes and should not be bundled into vague unrestricted language. Confirm downstream recipients, duration and any right to sublicense.
Tests to agree before a sample
- Check whether consent or notice requirements were assessed for the proposed reuse.
- Link decisions to follow-up tasks without assuming the transcript is accurate.
- Identify screen-sharing segments that expose unrelated confidential material.