Recordkeeping culture in Switzerland: the impact of language and communication on the success of recordkeeping initiatives

Purpose Records management has been heavily influenced by practice in English-speaking countries but is often seen as a foreign import in non-Anglophone countries. This study aims to investigate how using English terminology or translating records management terminology into French in a Francophone environment impacts on the success of recordkeeping strategies. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Francophone archivists and records managers in Switzerland to assess their communication strategies and the language used to communicate recordkeeping objectives. Findings The research findings indicate that in a Francophone environment, archivists and records managers who use French terminology are more successful in promoting recordkeeping objectives than those who use English terminology. Given that research was limited to one Swiss canton, more research is needed to test these findings in other Francophone cantons, provinces and countries. Originality/value This study is important for the success of recordkeeping initiatives in non-Anglophone countries. It highlights the need to take into account the local information culture and use terminology with which people are most familiar.

Meeting technologies and recordkeeping: a preliminary study

Purpose The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of the benefits and drawbacks involved in using digital technologies for business meetings, and identify key concerns. The shift from in-person to virtual meetings has multiple consequences, some of which impact recordkeeping. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on research from records management, anthropology, organizational theory and computer science, this study establishes the norms of physical meeting spaces and recordkeeping and explores how these norms are challenged as meetings become virtual. Findings Virtual meetings allow for collaboration to work across time and space and offer multiple affordances that do not exist in on-site meetings; however, they also involve the additional barrier of technical access and reduction in user attention. Virtual meetings also enable the creation, capture and sharing of increased contextual data, and this increased documentation challenges traditional recordkeeping models. Meeting technologies are also worryingly invasive. This study shows that concerns over privacy have been dismissed in the design of virtual meeting spaces, and therefore the authors recommend their more thorough consideration. Originality/value Meetings are a pervasive feature of organizational life whose significance has been overlooked in the recordkeeping literature. By bringing together research about in-person and virtual meetings in a novel and necessary way, the authors started to fill a gap and hope to inspire further studies.

Records management in government schools in South Africa: a case study in Limpopo province

Purpose This study aims to investigate records management in selected government schools in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative research approach to collect in-depth data from the principals or administrators working as records managers at the school level. In all, a sample of principals and administrators from seven schools were interviewed face-to-face to enable the researcher to visit the schools in person. Findings The findings indicate that although the principals or administrators make concerted efforts to manage school records, there is no uniform system in place for this purpose. This results in haphazard record keeping and records management at the schools. The study recommends that the Department of Basic Education in Limpopo develop a file plan or model for schools to use to manage records uniformly in a standardised manner that would support accountability, transparency and good governance. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to seven primary schools in Lebopo Circuit, Limpopo province and secondary schools were excluded. Practical implications The author obtained a thorough understanding and direct insight into how principals or administrators manage school records. This study makes recommendations for the effective management of records in government schools. Originality/value This is one of the few research papers on records management in government schools in South Africa.

Records management and performance of procurement management units in Tanzania: a case study

Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of records management on the performance of procurement management units (PMUs) in Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach To meet the objective of the study, cross-sectional survey design and quantitative approaches were used for data collection and analysis. Preliminary analysis of the data was carried out using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling was then used to analyse the influence of records management standards on procurement performance. The data were collected from 164 government PMUs in Tanzania. Findings The findings revealed that records management attributes significantly affect procurement performance in Tanzania. Furthermore, government policy and integrity factors confound the association between records management and procurement performance. Practical implications The policymakers and practitioners of public procurement are required to be aware of records management principles and how each related factor influences the performance of PMUs. They should emphasise proper storage and housing, equipment, arrangement and access and implement electronic records management. Originality/value This study shows how the ISO 15489 model can be applied to public procurement processes. This study also provides the lesson that procurement records need to be protected to ensure their authenticity, reliability, integrity and useability.

A review of the legislative framework for social media records in Botswana

Purpose The purpose of this paper to review the legislative framework for social media records in Botswana. The goal is to determine the extent to which the current legislation in Botswana covers the management of social media records. Design/methodology/approach This paper applied a qualitative research methodology and used documentary review method to collect data for analysis. The data collected was reviewed and organised into themes that cut across all the data sources to answer the main research objective. Findings The findings of this paper show that the Botswana Government has made strides in reforming some legislation to address issues that rise with the continued use of the internet and cloud services in the country. However, a review of the legislation established that the reforms were not comprehensive enough for records generated on social media. The relevant subsidiary legislation also fell shot in filing this gap in the country’s legislative framework. Research limitations/implications Research into the legislative framework for records generated on social media platforms in Botswana still needs more insights, specifically guidelines in the implementation of the current legislation in the country. Practical implications The findings of this paper can be used by both Botswana and other governments, especially in Africa where there is limited research in the area, to better manage records generated through the use of social media with respect to relevant legislative frameworks. Originality/value This paper is one of the first research contributions to review the legislative framework for records generated on social media in Botswana.

Come hell or high water: climate action by archives, records and cultural heritage professionals in the United Kingdom

Purpose This paper aims to evidence the perspectives of information professionals in the UK in relation to environmental sustainability and climate action to catalyse collaborative action. Design/methodology/approach This study takes an interpretivist stance. Research into archive and record management literature was conducted to establish key themes on climate change within the information sector. These themes informed research questions included in a survey cascaded to UK archivists, conservators, records managers and cultural heritage professionals via national mailing lists. The results were then codified and analysed. The study had research ethics and data protection approval from University College London. Findings Using professional ethics as a framework, this paper argues that climate action can protect records from the impact of climate change, ensuring future access. The information professionals surveyed were motivated by duties to preservation and access to mitigate the impact of the information sector on the environment. However, sector-specific climate action, such as introducing passive storage conditions or decreasing collection sizes, is limited by insufficient resources, organisational hierarchies and cultures, sector support and a perceived conflict with the duty to preservation. Originality/value To date, there is a growing body of literature from other countries on archival practices and the natural environment. However, the UK in general and the records management sector in particular, have not yet fully engaged in the discussion. This study reviews these knowledge gaps for the UK information sector to appropriately respond to climate change.

Contradicting challenges: the complexity of documenting personal information in a regulatory environment

Purpose Many organizations are challenged by different and, perhaps, opposite, registration and protection obligations of information regarding their employees. The purpose of this paper is to explore how organizations balance the registration obligations of the Icelandic equal pay standard (EPS) and the protection requirements of the general data protection regulation (GDPR). It aims to raise awareness of how information professionals can ensure that documentation on the education and skills of employees is authentic, traceable and secure. Design/methodology/approach The analytical framework covered multiple-cases and semi-structured interviews with various professionals and comprehensive documentary analysis. Findings The findings indicate that the organizations were not properly prepared for the implementation of the EPS and were hesitant regarding further registration of personal information due to GDPR. Documentary analysis also revealed critical attitudes towards the legal endorsement of the standard and its potential success. Originality/value There is a lack of studies explaining the juxtaposition of information and records management and the legal and regulatory environment. This paper provides a unique description of how information and recordkeeping practices function with the requirements of the EPS whilst complying with GDPR. The results could bring valuable opportunities for the information profession regarding the development, implementation, administration and maintenance of documentary evidence regarding the requirements of international and national standards and legislations and advance their collaboration with other professionals in the management of information.

Climate change and web archives: an Ibero-American study based on the Portuguese and Brazilian contexts

Purpose The purpose of this investigation is to analyze information on the web and its preservation as a digital heritage, having as object of study information about events related to climate changes and the environment in Portugal and Brazil, thus contributing to an applied case of preservation of web in the Ibero-American context. Design/methodology/approach It is a theoretical and applied investigation and the methodology uses mixed methods, collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, from three data sources: the Internet Archive and public collections of Archive-it, the Portuguese web archive and a complementation from collections formed by the research group on web archiving and digital preservation in Brazil. Findings The web archiving initiatives started in 1996, however, over the years, the collections have been specializing, from nationally relevant themes, to thematic niches. The theme “climate changes” has had an impact on scientific and mainstream discussions in the 2000s, and in the years 2010 the theme becomes the focus of digital preservation of web content, as demonstrated in this study. To not preserve data can lead to a rapid loss of this information owing to the ephemerality of the web. Originality/value The originality of this paper is to show the relevance of preserving web content on climate changes, to demonstrate information on climate changes on the web that is currently preserved and what information would need to be preserved.

Training and resources of e-records readiness at the Federal Ministry of finance in Nigeria

Purpose e-records have become an important tool through which a government is held accountable for good governance, transparency and delivery of services to citizens. Therefore, this study aims to assess availability of training and resources in a records management environment, as a way of determining e-records readiness at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Nigeria (FMFN). Design/methodology/approach Questionnaires and observation were used for data collection. Purposive and stratified sampling techniques were used. Quantitative data from the 250 usable questionnaires retrieved was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative data was analyzed manually. Findings The study findings revealed that FMFN has a records management unit with other resources such as a movable and lockable file cabinet, files, file holders, registers and computers. There is low budget allocation for records management activities. Training for records managers is infrequent. However, an orientation program for new staff exists. Employees prefer the following mode of training: seminars and workshops, internships and consultant-run training. In terms of kinds of training need, study participants noted that they require training on computer applications, e-records management and change management role of record management. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to employees of the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) in Abuja. As a result, the findings may not be generalized to other ministries in Nigeria. Practical implications It is hoped that the study would benefit the public sectors that are desirous to opt for e-records management and provide benchmarks for policymakers, particularly on how to maintain proper e-records readiness status through training and resources. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to be conducted at FMFN on e-records readiness, more specifically on resources and training.