Management, appraisal and preservation of electronic records: Vol 1 ...

Management, appraisal and preservation of electronic records
Records, files and
metadata
Record
File
38
for managing the record - that is, distinguishing the need for flexibility from the
need for structure - when thinking about the design of a record-keeping system.
Section 3.1 of the Procedures volume deals with organisation, access and retrieval
mechanisms for electronic records systems.
3.12 Frequently, different participants in discussions on ERM associate
different meanings with one and the same term - for example, the terms record
and file refer to different concepts for each of these two practitioner groups. It
is important, therefore, that terminology is used carefully and with precision,
and that all participants have a clear understanding of the way in which terms
are used when discussing electronic records management in relation to new or
existing information systems.
3.13 In the records management sense a record is the result of an activity or
transaction, and may result in more than one physical object; for example, a
spreadsheet which is accompanied by a text commentary, or an e-mail message
with several attachments. The record is made meaningful by the co-ordination
of these parts, and will lose some of its sense with the loss of one or more of the
objects of which it is constituted.
3.14 In the computer systems sense, a record refers to a tightly-bound
grouping of data which describes a distinct entity, usually in a database or other
structured system.
3.15 In this guidance, record is always used in the records management sense,
unless otherwise specified. Section 2 of the Procedures volume deals with types
and sources of records.
3.16 In the records management sense, a file (or folder) groups associated
records in a logical structure that shows the position of one record in relation to
others. A file will have an identifying title or label, and other characteristics, and
will be part of a wider structure which reflects the business activities of the
organisation. By means of the file/folder, a whole group of records can be
managed together, and the same actions can be taken on all records in that
group at the same time.
3.17 In the computer systems sense, a file refers to a discrete object which can
be stored as a separate entity on disk storage; for example, a word processed
document, a spreadsheet, an e-mail message. In this sense, it equates more
closely to the idea of a part within a record in the records management sense.