Records management
Records management is a crucial discipline involving the systematic control of an organization's records, both physical and digital. It encompasses acquiring, classifying, archiving, and prioritizing records to ensure they are securely stored and easily retrievable when needed. This practice is particularly vital in fields such as medicine, business, and government, where legal, fiscal, and historical records must be meticulously managed. The evolution of records management has progressed from informal, physical filing systems to more sophisticated, automated digital solutions, significantly influenced by advancements in technology since the mid-20th century. Notable developments include the use of microform, computers, and electronic databases, which have streamlined the storage and retrieval processes. As records management continues to digitalize, professionals in this field must establish policies and standards to safeguard sensitive information, address issues of access and confidentiality, and protect against cyber threats. This growing emphasis on information security and efficient management highlights its importance in maintaining organizational integrity and operational efficiency.
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Records management
Records management is both a discipline and an activity, both regarding the maintenance of an organization’s records. Monitoring these records involves acquiring, classifying, archiving, and prioritizing records, which must then be stored and secured so that they can be most easily tracked and retrieved when needed. These records can be both physical, in the form of paper documents and items, and digital, in the form of electronic files and data. Fields in which records management is an especially important practice include medicine, business, and government. Records management can also be termed “records information management (RIM).”
Overview
Records management has generally been an administrative task in which legal, fiscal, and historical records—among other kinds—are controlled. Historically, records management involved physical documents that were often informally organized with regard to contents and method. Without formal practices for managing records, the practice was also done inconsistently and, therefore, often inefficiently. A major turning point in records management came in the 1930s, when the United States National Archives began to unify its procedures for maintaining federal records. Keeping thorough records involved a great deal of physical space, often in the form of large-scale filing systems.
Storage and retrieval methods continued to improve and develop as new technology allowed for a greater ease in managing information. One method that gained popularity was the use of microform—a microreproduction of documents that allowed a great deal of microfilm images to be stored on reels and sheets that could then be magnified and studied using readers. This dramatically decreased the need for storage space.
In the mid and late twentieth century, computers that could contain vast amounts of digital information were developed. These systems were eventually automated, instead of manual, and could be used for entering, storing, and retrieving data. Information processing became common in government and business, further expanding into the private sector in the 1980s and 1990s as personal computers became more common. Other tools of this era included bar codes and scanners, information indexing, electronic vaulting, and new plans for fail-safes, backups, and disaster recovery. Computer systems also allowed for easier cross-referencing of records. Portable data storage during this time advanced to include storage in the form of diskettes or optical and compact discs (CDs).
By the early twenty-first century, records management had become mostly digital as information storage went increasing paperless. Use of the Internet and electronic databases, especially, have been milestones in the ease and scale of records management. Information technology and information services are growing fields as well, as technology continues to improve practices and procedures for managing records access, delivery, and distribution. Records and archives, both active and inactive, can be quickly accessed and safely preserved.
In organizations, businesses, and governments, individuals responsible for records management have to set policies and standards to deliver their services effectively. This work often involves establishing standards, implementing new systems, and conducting needs-based assessment for organizations; once the basic information about records management is established, professionals must determine needs, set practices for acquiring and storing records, manage information life cycles, and decide issues of access, among many other roles. The question of access must also account for issues including confidentiality, copyrights, privacy, and public access. Furthermore, companies must ensure their data and information are safe and secure from cyber threats and data breaches. Records can be protected and preserved more securely through methods like strong user authentication, role-based access controls, data encryption, security audits, and backups.
Bibliography
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