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This paper aims to establish public departments’ compliance with National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ)’s records survey recommendations as well as to find out reasons for compliance and non-compliance.

This quantitative research used a survey research design and collected data using questionnaires, which were triangulated by document reviews and personal observation. A census approach was used where all 15 public departments upon which post-records survey inspections were conducted by Gweru Records Centre in the Midlands Province in 2016 were involved in the study.

The study revealed that many public departments in Zimbabwe disregarded records survey recommendations given by NAZ after records surveys. This was despite the fact that NAZ was armed with the National Archives of Zimbabwe Act (1986) which in principle is supposed to induce compliance by client departments. As a result, the records management situation in public departments has not improved much, and in some cases, it has become worse.

A lot has been published about records surveys in Zimbabwe, for example, by Chaterera (2008, 2013), Dewah (2010), Karimanzira and Mutsagondo (2015), Maboreke (2007) and Mutsagondo (2012). These studies have shown the importance of records surveys. However, none of them has evaluated the effectiveness of records surveys by examining the degree of compliance to records survey recommendations by public departments. This study thus scores a first in this regard. The study will enable NAZ to make a cost-benefit analysis of records surveys as well as to use results of this study to effect necessary operational, tactical and strategic decisions as regards the exercise.

This paper presents the approach being taken to appraisal and retention scheduling at the National Patient Safety Agency based on the principles of ISO 15489.

The paper sets out the background to, and the factors affecting, the development of appraisal and scheduling practice. It then focuses on the use of a functional analysis approach to appraisal and scheduling within the context of a pilot project, describing the appraisal methodology, survey and scheduling techniques used within the pilot and evaluating their effectiveness in meeting relevant statutory and organisational requirements for records retention.

The pilot survey provided valuable learning. Functional appraisal and surveying techniques were found to be particularly effective for establishing the business context of records and identifying their primary values; that is the legal and organisational requirements governing their retention. However, they were less effective at recognising secondary values such as archival value or dealing with the legacy records.

Considers the lessons learned and how they are influencing the development of retention policy and practice.

This paper sets out to present the approach being taken to appraisal and retention scheduling at the National Patient Safety Agency based upon the principles of ISO 15489.

The paper sets out the background to, and the factors affecting, the development of appraisal and scheduling practice. It then focuses on the use of a functional analysis approach to appraisal and scheduling within the context of a pilot project, describing the appraisal methodology, survey and scheduling techniques used within the pilot and evaluating their effectiveness in meeting relevant statutory and organisational requirements for records retention.

The pilot survey provided valuable learning. Functional appraisal and surveying techniques were found to be particularly effective for establishing the business context of records and identifying their primary values; that is the legal and organisational requirements governing their retention. However, they were less effective at recognising secondary values such as archival value or dealing with the legacy records.

The paper concludes by considering the lessons learned and how they are influencing the development of retention policy and practice.

Recently, increasing importance has been given to electronic records in China, despite the lack of understanding that institutions and organizations have regarding the security status of electronic records preservation. Wuhan, the largest city in central China, serves as a case to investigate the preservation security of electronic records. Challenges to security are summarized, and solutions are proposed to support policy-developing and operational guidance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The Delphi method is applied to analyze the advice of nine experts, select survey items and design questionnaires. Data are collected from 34 archives in Wuhan through field surveys, oral interviews and e-mails, which are analyzed and illustrated with three representative cases.

Main achievements of electronic records preservation are concluded in the electronic records management system, carrier types and storage formats, and data backup. Problems are summarized as a lack of awareness and capability of defending against security risks, disaster recovery capability, and understanding of electronic record characteristics. Solutions are proposed as follows: carrying out regular security risk evaluation, adopting new technologies, implementing application-level backup, strengthening technology-related education and attracting more IT talent to join the archive discipline. In addition, it is critical to promote an understanding of the characteristics of electronic records.

This paper investigates the security status of electronic records in central China by surveys and case studies. Critical problems and corresponding solutions are raised to support policy-developing and operational guidance for the research and practice of all kinds of institutions that implement electronic records preservation.

In the Spring of 1993, the Department of Information and Library Management at the University of Northumbria wished both to collect information on current Records Management practice in the North East of England, and simultaneously to draw the attention of local organisations to their new Postgraduate Diploma in Information and Records Management. By use of a questionnaire, they elicited a response, which, although not amenable to rigorous statistical analysis, does perhaps begin to identify some of the main problems that may be encountered in any subsequent attempt to access this sector, for either the conducting of research or for training purposes.

The advancement of a profession depends on factors such as firm education, training programmes and vibrant professional associations. The purpose of this study is to provide baseline information on archives and records management (ARM) professionals from Africa, including their views on education and training programmes. Related studies have been limited to investigating the experiences of graduates from a few institutions within a limited jurisdiction. Similar studies have not been conducted by African-based ARM associations.

This study’s survey approach was administered electronically. Two surveys explored themes through 10 research questions in three categories: background information; characteristics of the education; and types of courses and extent covered during the study.

The two surveys had 107 and 179 respondents, respectively, domiciled in 19 African countries. In both studies, about 75% of the respondents had an undergraduate- or master-level qualification. Between 69% and 87% of the respondents from the first and second surveys, respectively, had completed their educational programmes within their home countries. There was varied sentiment on the types of courses and level of coverage within their studies. Legal and technology aspects were less covered in the curriculum than core subjects.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first with findings from ARM respondents across several African countries. It provides insight into the demographics and educational programmes. This study’s unique contribution provides baseline data for more detailed and nuanced studies that will explore data and investigate patterns within and among individual countries on the continent.

The topic of user profiling appears to be neglected in the records management literature although there is more on profiling in other fields, especially in education. An efficient and effective records management system is one which meets the needs of its users and therefore the techniques of user profiling would seem highly relevant to the records manager. In this article the author investigates what is meant by a profile of users of a Records Management System (RMS) and explains why and when it is needed. Drawing on general experience of local government and particular experience gained in undertaking a user survey as part of a computer security audit throughout Gateshead MBC, she goes on to explore how such a profile could be produced, using Tynedale DC Planning Department as an example.

Purpose – Statistics about the level of crime continue to attract public and political attention but are often presented in conflicting ways. In England and Wales, police-recorded crimes are no longer considered “national statistics” and, instead, the crime survey of England and Wales (CSEW) is used. However, it is not clear why partial population data (e.g., police-recorded crime) are considered less reliable or valid for measuring temporal crime trends in society than inferential statistical estimation models that are based on samples such as CSEW. This is particularly the case for approximating rare events like high-harm violence and specific harmful modus operandi (e.g., knife crime and firearms). In this chapter, the authors cross-reference victim survey and police-recorded data to determine similarities and contradictions in trends.

Methods – Using police data and CSEW estimates, the authors contrast variance and logarithmic trend lines since 1981 across a range of data categories and then triangulate the results with assault records from hospital consultations.

Findings – Change in crime rates in recent years is neither as unique nor extreme as promulgated in media coverage of crime. Moreover, analyses show conflicting narratives with a host of plausible but inconclusive depictions of the “actual” amount of crime committed in the society. The authors also conclude that neither source of data can serve as the benchmark of the other. Thus, both data systems suffer from major methodological perils, and the estimated crime means in CSEW, inferred from samples, are not necessarily more valid or accurate than police-recorded data (particularly for low-frequency and high-harm crimes). On the other hand police-recorded data are susceptible to variations in recording practices. As such, the authors propose a number of areas for further research, and a revised taxonomy of crime classifications to assist with future public interpretations of crime statistics.

Originality – There is much public and academic discourse about different sources of crime measurement yet infrequent analysis of the precise similarities and differences between the methods. This chapter offers a new perspective on long-term trends and highlights an issue of much contemporaneous concern: rising violent crime.

In 1989 the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, suspecting that records in the departments of the Northern Ireland Civil Service could be more effectively managed, undertook a survey of records management. This was completed in early 1994 and the findings of the survey have confirmed the Record Office's suspicions. This article considers why this should be so and suggests possible action to remedy the situation. The author expresses his belief that this scenario will be familiar to many records managers and argues that the profession needs to be more proactive in stressing the value of information as a resource, and in selling the concepts of records management to senior executives. He concludes by arguing that recent developments in technology may provide an opportunity for records managers to enhance their profiles.

Various measures exist to determine the quality, however defined, of records in a database or catalogue but there has been less work in developing quality measures for catalogues or databases. UKOLN has carried out work on record quality and catalogue/database performance measurement since 1980. Recently UKOLN has extended its work on the currency of records in the BNB files on the British Library database to a number of other sources of bibliographic records. The results of the Multi‐Source Currency survey presented here have highlighted a number of issues relating to the bibliographic record coverage of the UK imprint.