Skip to Content

PakPedia - Archival & Version Control Policy

Effective Date: November 15, 2025
Contact Email: [email protected]
Policy Index Page

1. Purpose2. Archival Philosophy3. What Gets Archived4. Version Control Standards5. Archival Storage & Preservation6. Public Access to Version History7. How Updates Are Made8. Deletion & Removal Rules

1. Purpose

This policy defines how PakPedia stores historical versions of pages, preserves legal and civic updates, maintains integrity of older references, and ensures transparency in how content changes over time.

Accurate version records are essential for legal research, academic work, civic education, and public trust.

2. Archival Philosophy

PakPedia follows three core archival principles:

2.1 Historical Integrity

Older versions of content are never deleted unless required for legal reasons. They remain part of the historical record.

2.2 Transparent Evolution

Users should understand how content has changed—especially when laws, boundaries, or procedures are updated.

2.3 Traceable Sources

Every archived version retains its citations and references, allowing researchers to trace the legal context at the time.

3. What Gets Archived

PakPedia preserves version history for:

3.1 Legal Content

  • Constitutional explanations
  • Federal and provincial laws
  • Court rulings summaries
  • Gazette notifications
    Older versions remain accessible for comparison with new amendments.

3.2 Geographic & Administrative Pages

  • District profiles
  • Tehsil and union council data
  • Police jurisdiction maps
  • Local governance structures

3.3 Civic Resources

  • Educational guides
  • Procedures and processes
  • Data-driven summaries
  • FAQs and public help material

3.4 System Pages

  • Policies
  • Transparency reports
  • Contributor guidelines

4. Version Control Standards

PakPedia uses a structured revision model:

4.1 Major Revision (X.0)

Substantial changes due to:

  • New laws
  • Gazette amendments
  • Administrative reorganizations
  • Court decisions

4.2 Minor Revision (X.Y)

Improvements to clarity, formatting, citations, or maps.

4.3 Micro Revision (X.Y.Z)

Corrections to typos, link fixes, or non-substantive updates.

Each version stores:

  • Timestamp
  • Editor ID
  • Summary of changes
  • Sources consulted

5. Archival Storage & Preservation

5.1 Primary Archive

PakPedia maintains a secure internal archive storing:

  • Page versions
  • Metadata
  • Audit logs

5.2 Long-Term Storage

Critical pages with civic or legal significance are periodically exported to long-term archival formats for redundancy.

5.3 Immutable Logs

Archive logs are not editable. Editors can add new entries, but cannot modify existing historical records.

6. Public Access to Version History

PakPedia ensures user transparency by offering:

  • Page-level “History” views (where enabled)
  • Version notes summarizing significant updates
  • Access to older content snapshots on request

If a version is restricted due to legal obligations, an explanation is provided.

7. How Updates Are Made

7.1 Update Triggers

Content enters revision when:

  • A law changes
  • A district boundary is updated
  • A user submits a verified correction
  • Official data is released by any governmental body

7.2 Review Before Publishing

Editors perform a verification cycle to ensure:

  • Accuracy
  • Consistency with controlling sources
  • No loss of contextual meaning

7.3 Publishing & Archiving

Once a new version goes live:

  1. The previous version is archived
  2. A version entry is created
  3. Page-level notes may be added for transparency

8. Deletion & Removal Rules

PakPedia rarely deletes historical versions. However, removal may occur if:

  • Required by law
  • Requested by the issuing authority
  • It contains sensitive personal data
  • It poses a security or safety issue

A removal entry is always logged for accountability.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some common questions about our Archival & Version Control Policy.

Category: Version History

Q1. Can I view older versions of a page?

Yes. Major versions are accessible publicly, and others may be requested via email.

Q2. What happens when laws change?

A new major version is created, and the older explanation is archived with its source context.

Category: Archiving Practices

Q3. Are archived versions editable?

No. They are preserved as-is to protect historical integrity.

Q4. Does PakPedia delete old content?

Only when legally required or for safety reasons, and such actions are logged.

Category: Transparency

Q5. How do I know what changed on a page?

Version notes summarize key updates; major updates may include additional revision documentation.

Q6. Does PakPedia keep logs of who edited each version?

Yes. Internal audit logs track editor IDs and timestamps.