In order to properly document a case of disappearance families and organizations should keep a record of all crucial documents and activities in a safe place.  

Keeping record of information on personal details of disappeared person is extremely important as it will speed up the process of filing complaints in international institutions and other organisms

It is also very important to keep an updated record, file or diary of the places visited looking for the disappeared person, people that were interviewed, and the conclusions that were drawn.

Last but not least is keeping information on the identity of the alleged perpetrators which could be particularly important.

As a start families and organizations should collect as much information as possible about the person who disappeared.  This should include:

• A photo of the disappeared
• A copy of an identification document of the disappeared. Types of identification documents include a passport, driving license, birth or baptism certificate, student ID, etc.
• Dental and/or medical records of the disappeared person. These records may assist forensic experts in properly identifying the body of a disappeared person.
• Copies of fingerprints of the disappeared person.

All of these documents can be of great use not only in forensic investigations but also in preventing authorities from denying the very existence of the disappeared person or alleging that there are several people responding to the same name and characteristics.

It is essential for families and/or NGOs to keep copies of all documents issued by public authorities (court documents, sworn statements, and any other legal paper) and a record of which authorities were visited. It is critical to note the dates of meetings and the names of officials they spoke with, especially if there was any official denial of detention.