Topics in Archival Automation: Records Systems in the Digital Environment

Pre-requisites: ARST 510, ARST 515, ARST 516, ARST 520

Goal: To provide students with a clear conceptual framework and a sound methodology for analyzing, developing and evaluating digital records system, referring to the main national and international standards, best practices and projects relevant in this area.

Objectives: Upon completion of the course, students will:

1. Have reached a deeper understanding of the main theoretical concepts about record-creation, record-making and record-preservation in the context of a digital environment.
2. Have gained an increased awareness of the risks to records posed by the digital environment.
3. Gained a more robust ability in handling models and methodologies related to the design of records systems.
4. Be able to analyze, evaluate and compare digital record-making, recordkeeping and records preservation systems.
5. Be able to define a roadmap for designing and developing a record-making, a recordkeeping and a record preservation system.
6. Be familiar with recent and current standards, research and literature on electronic record management systems (ERMS).
7. Be able to discuss and demonstrate understanding of the course topics listed below.

Topics:

1. Records, organizations and records management: principles to respect in the digital environment.
2. Functional requirements for electronic records management systems (ERMS); and, among others issues, this topic will address:
   • The role of the digital register (protocol) as a certification tool;
   • The role of the digital signature as an authenticity tool;
   • The role of classification as an identification, organization, authentication and retrieval tool in the digital environment;
   • Managing specific types of digital records (e.g. e-mail, databases) within EDMS c.Models and methodologies for managing electronic records throughout their life cycle;
   • Metadata for managing electronic records throughout their life cycle;
   • National and international standard impacting on electronic records management; and, 
   • Relevant projects and best practices in managing electronic records.