Records and Archives Management Essays

Etiwel Mutero Roper and Miller (1999:1) listed the benefits of electronic as; increased access to information, flexibility in the creation and use of information, improved efficiency and effectiveness, increased economic ad business opportunities and improved capacity for audit and compliance.  It is these benefits that should make all organizations and states ensure that electronic records remain accessible.  In this paper, the author is going to discuss the responsibilities of the National Archives in the management of electronic records. The National Achieves is a government owned institution which manages government or private records of enduring value, be it, legal values, historical values or research values.  An electronic record is written on magnetic or optical medium, such as magnetic tapes, CD ROMs, DVDs, hard disks, USBs (Universal Serial Buses) and other digital storage devices, recorded in binary code, accessed using computer

Etiwel Mutero Considering the benefits of electronic records to organizations such as increased access to information, flexibility in the creation and use of information, improved efficiency and effectiveness, increased economic and business opportunities, and improved capacity and compliance, it is therefore, necessary to preserve electronic records so as to preserve their authenticity.  In this paper, the author is going to evaluate the major issues that are considered in the preservation of electronic records and recommend the way forward. According to Brown et al (1999:27) electronic records are:“Any component of information created electronically that forms part of an electronic record and that is usually stored separately within the digital file making up the electronic record as a whole:.  Electronic records can also be defined as series of 1 and Os that require computer hardware and software to interpret and present.  Unlike paper ba

Etiwel Mutero Appraisal is important in the management of records and achieves.  Failure to have an effective appraisal strategy; will lead to accumulation of obsolete records in organisational offices and archival institutions leading to a shortage of storage space and difficulty in retrieving needed records and archives. In this paper, the author is going to discuss the pre-conditions for an effective appraisal strategy. Ropper & Miller (1999:6) defines appraisal as “The process of determining the value of records for further use, for whatever purpose, and the length of time for which that value will continue.  Also known as evaluation, review or selection. Ropper & Miller (199:6) continue to say: “First appraisal involves deciding what records need to be kept and for how long in order to allow the organisation to continue its work.  This is known as appraisal for continuity utility”.  Second appraisal involves deciding what record

 Etiwel Mutero Since the main purpose of an information retrieval system is essentially to capture wanted items and filter out the unwanted ones, it is therefore necessary for an information seeker to know how to improve the search results. In this paper, the author is going to discuss how an online information searcher can improve the quality of search results apart from using the Boolean operators. According to Harter[1986] an online information retrieval is a computer associated hardware terminals, communication lines and links, modems and disk drives as well as software packages that carry out storage and retrieval functions on databases. It can also be defined as the process of searching remote databases for information using information and communication technologies, or the searching of computerized databases instead of printed indexes. Apart from using Boolean operators, an online information searcher can use the SocialSimRank Bao et al[2007:501-510]. Bao et al pr

Parker [1977:161] says 'finding aids are the signposts which lead the archivists and the researcher to the information they are seeking about or from archives.' In this paper, the author is going to identify and explain the key finding aids used in accessing materials in an archival institution. Finding aids can be defined as descriptions of the holding of the archival institution so as to establish intellectual control. Intellectual control is necessary because archivists need to know what they have [records], what it contains, and where it is. Researchers need to know what exist in the archival institution, what materials it has on specific topics, and what is in each collection. Finding aids encompass a range of descriptive media such as registers,lists, guides, inventories and indexes. Parker [1977:159] says finding aids '...establish physical and intellectual control over holdings of an archive and make it possible to retrieve particular records or in

In many developing countries, Zimbabwe included records management systems are not followed or that they had crumbled. Records are in- accessible or that obsolete records had filled a large part of office space, necessitating the implementation of effective new records management systems in many organizations. In this paper the author is going to examine the principles involved in establishing the infrastructure or frame work for a new records management system in an organization. According to the association of records managers and administrators (ARMA),"Records management is the systematic control of records from their creation or receipt through their processing, distribution, organization and retrieval, to their ultimate disposal." A system is defined by Arn (1991:6) as 'a group of components that function together to achieve certain objectives. The components or parts of a system are subsystems. Records management is subsystem of any information syste

I fully agree that an archivist is a professional who is responsible for the management of important records. Atherton 1995; 43 say "the archivist serves the needs of the scholar, the historian, and posterity..." In this paper the author is going to discuss five basic activities that define an archivist's function. An archivist according to Willipedia definition is a professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long term value. Atherton (1985; 35) say an "archivist is basically a historian". However I think a comprehensive definition of an archivist is, a person who manages non-current records of any organization. The first duty of an archivist is acquisition of archival materials. It is the responsibility of an archivist to select and archival records fit for long term preservation. However, selection and appraisal of records are interviewed. Appraisal,