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Explores the newly emerging information discipline of records management, focusing on its current status in the UK where it is represented by a range of sector‐specific and general for information professionals organizations. Investigates the issue of education and training in this developing field in the context of a research project on continuing vocational education for records practitioners, which is being undertaken by the Department of Information and Library Management at the University of Northumbria. Early results from the project identified two main training needs: one relates to a specific area of information management, that of managing electronic records, and the other relates to the general area of strategic approaches to management. While records management involves some skills and knowledge which are different from those already mastered by library and information professionals there are significant overlaps in terms of cataloguing, classification, indexing, identifying and meeting user needs and the challenge of dealing with information in electronic form. Contends, therefore, that in the changing and sometimes shrinking market of some of the more traditional library sectors records management may offer the opportunity to develop or shift one’s career path while remaining within the discipline of information management.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the information landscape of organizations by focusing on the evolution of the fields of so‐called records management and data management.

The author draws on his personal experience with the National Archives of Canada.

Records management and data management quite literally mean the same thing. There is no “gap”, as indicated in the title. The only gaps that exist are in the perceptions of what each concept means and the functions and status of the information jurisdictions that have claimed each for their own.

The paper recommends an integration of what has been perceived to be the disparate fields of records management and data management, finding that records or data should be managed from a global and corporately defined perspective

This article begins by charting some of the key phases in the development of records management practice in central government in the United Kingdom in the last two decades. The parallel developments of closely related disciplines, such as information resource management, document management, archives administration and information and library management in a wider context, has resulted in fragmentation in the way information in organisations is managed. This in turn has reduced the impact of records management in particular not least, the author believes, because the term itself is not widely understood nor the practice of the discipline highly regarded. He proposes ways to change this concluding with the proposal to rename it ‘information logistics’.

This is the second part of a two‐part article which examines the various definitions accorded to the two key terms in records management – the records and records management. Variations in their definition have lead to confusion which affects the formulation of theory to underpin the discipline. Having discussed the changing definition of a record in Part 1 in this part the authors discuss the various definitions of records management.

The purpose of this article is to explore the documentation work in pre‐trial investigation performed by the police from the records management perspective. The study, undertaken as doctoral research, is meant to give answers to the questions: what kind of information is recorded in the pre‐trial investigation process, how are recordings made, and what are the regulatory and statutory requirements for the recording processes? The aim is to produce new knowledge of the Finnish recordkeeping field and of the relationships between work processes, record management and information systems.

This study presents findings from a qualitative explorative case study. Data collection methods were based on triangulation of data sources. Data were collected for the period 1999‐2004.

Documentation of activities proved to be a coherent part of pre‐trial investigation. Various activities in the investigation process are reported exactly, with information on criminal cases captured as a record or recorded in registers. Diverse information systems are used in the pre‐trial investigation process. The relationships between tasks, information systems and information management proved to be slight. Information systems do not serve the pre‐trial investigation process in the desired way. Several different legal and statutory requirements concern operations in pre‐trial investigation and their documentation. There are divergences in compliance with legal norms and guidelines depending on types of norms, actors, tasks and cases. The records management norms are not very well‐known, and compliance with them is poor.

There is an obvious need for studies aimed at examining the relations between task performance, information systems and documentation.

The other day I was at a meeting with several government officials to discuss the establishment of a retention, conservation and disposition schedule for a large, complex, automated information system. Around the table were users, systems people, the head of data administration and the departmental records manager. The first thing that intrigued me about this meeting was that the records manager and the systems people (including the data administrator) had never met each other, even though all had worked in the department for at least 2 years. For someone who was concerned with launching an initiative that would depend on the cooperation of these areas I was more than a little shaken.

Organisations and governments rarely see the connection between records management and the prevention of corruption, fraud and maladministration. This article gives an overview of what corruption and fraud entail and points out the importance of records management in ensuring accountability and providing a safeguard against corruption, fraud and maladministration. Good records management systems are essential to support financial management and financial accountability. Records management also ensures the public sector‘s ability to function effectively and provides documentary evidence to assist in ensuring accountable and transparent government.

Human resource records are the cornerstone of human resource management. Organizations rely a great deal on their employees to furnish them with human resource records, which is crucial to the effective management of the employees and the success of the organization. It is evident, however, that personal information-related issues in organizations are of significant concern and that examining employees’ perceptions and attitudes regarding personal information management is extremely valuable. Yet, this is largely absent in the literature. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the influence of perceptions of employees concerning the uses and security of human resource records on their attitude toward human resource records in Ghana.

A descriptive survey design was used in this study. An online questionnaire was used to gather responses from employees for analyses. A structural equation model was developed and assessed because of the advantages that come with its use and the characteristics of this study. The assessment of the structural equation model was done to determine the significance of the hypothesized paths. In addition, effect size, coefficient of determination and predictive relevance of the structural model were assessed. Before that, the validity and reliability of the measurement model were examined through the assessment of the indicator loadings, average variance extracted, Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. An importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) was also conducted.

The hypotheses formulated in this study could not be rejected because the hypotheses tested were statistically significant. Thus, this study revealed that employees’ perception of the uses of human resource records influenced their attitude toward human resource records. Also, employees’ perception of the security of human resource records influenced their attitude toward human resource records. The IPMA revealed that the perception of uses of human resource records was more important, yet its performance was below the perception of security as significant.

Human resource records management professionals, particularly in Ghana, ought to ensure that the human resource records in their organizations are used for the purpose for which they are collected and also, secured. In addition, they should assure employees that their personal information is used as expected and secured. This could be realized with the use of international records management standards especially those in the ISO 30300 series. More so, human resource managers as part of their counseling duties also need to counsel employees so that they form positive perceptions about the uses and security of the personal information they give to their organization in the course of their employment.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study brings to light the attitude of employees toward human resource records based on their perceptions of uses and security in the Ghanaian context which is absent in the literature as previous studies have focused mainly on personal information management behavior only at the individual level.

Records management is just beginning to emerge as a professional discipline in Finland where it only became possible in 1997 for the first time to study records management in an academic institution. Since it is at such an early stage in its development it is not surprising that records management research has not yet been established. In this article the author explains the first steps towards developing records management research in Finland by looking, in particular, at the plans in the University of Tampere.

The purpose of this paper is to present the relationship between records management (RM) and accountable and efficient governance.

In this paper, the required framework and the prerequisites for planning and implementing an effective and efficient RM system are presented and a literature review and empirical studies are used to depict the interaction between good governance and RM.

The following conclusions are derived from the bibliographic data analysis. Specific training by RM professionals for recordkeeping is useful for public servants. All levels of the administrative chain should be trained and involved in RM processes. Good governance, information security and RM are all deeply connected. The tendency of regarding archives only as cultural thesaurus or valuable historical resources and not also as products and assets of their originating organizations has to be abandoned. Electronic RM and preservation is a complex matter that requires interdisciplinary action in order to be resolved. Technology and computers are not the panacea of records keeping and information management problems in governmental institutions. Institutional capacity and top‐level support are two elements, plus technology that enhances change management, work flow, standardization and interoperability.

Top management of the public (and private sector) has to be persuaded that there is cost reduction and effectiveness through the implementation of RMS. Public administration needs to turn to records and archives management professionals and involve them in the legislative, planning and operating work regarding the information management and its influence on good governance in public organizations.

Governments have to set and apply a comprehensive strategy for records and archives management, meaning the physical and intellectual control over all records created and held in public administration. Citizens should be always informed on their rights to access and use of governmental information. Only responsible and informed citizens can demand transparency and accountability by governments.

Through this work one can identify the major key issues and problems in planning and implementing a strategy for the creation and management of public records in governments. The most important goal is to raise awareness amongst all participants for emerging legal, fiscal and administrative issues involved with managing governmental information.