ELECTRONIC RECORDS
AND INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
BLIS 2402
PREPARED AND PRESENTED BY
RHODRICK PADONI
(2022)
NATURE OF ELECTRONIC
RECORDS AND INFORMATION
• Within our daily work, we all create, receive, and use documents.
• We send and receive emails, draft memos, or write reports.
• When a document provides evidence, we “declare” it to be a record.
• If the document is superseded or obsolete-an email confirming a
lunch appointment is no longer needed when lunch is over-we do not
need to declare that document as a record.
• We destroy that document so it does not take up valuable space in
our records systems.
NATURE OF ELECTRONIC
RECORDS AND INFORMATION
cont.
• The key difference between information, documents, and records is
their level of accountability.
• We generate or receive information all the time, in articles,
newspapers, radio reports, or books.
• If that information is useful but does not provide evidence of our
actual official work, or our actions or decisions, we treat that
information as a “non-record”: it is informative but cannot be used to
prove that we did or did not take a certain action.
Definition of a record
• A document regardless of form or medium created, received,
maintained and used by an organisation (public or private) or an
individual in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of
business, of which it forms a part or provides evidence.
Electronic record
• An electronic record is a record on electronic storage media,
produced, communicated, maintained and/or accessed by means of
electronic equipment (ISO 16175-1:2001).
• Electronic records are assets that need to be managed with the same
diligence as any other asset.
Forms/Examples of electronic
records and information
• Databases; Database refers to an organised collection of logically related
data e.g. a database of library users in Koha, MS Access a database of tax
payers.
• Word documents; These are word documents which have been typed
using word processing program like Microsoft word, Libra office, note
pad, WordPad or typewriter.
• Image documents; These are pictures of people, paper documents
which have been created using cameras, scanning machines.
• Spreadsheets; These are documents which are in form of table of sheets
which spread for large amount, they are created using spread sheet
programs like excel
Forms/Examples of electronic
records and information cont.
• E-mail messages; These are documents in form of electronic letters which have been
sent using electronic mail companies like Microsoft, yahoos, Gmail.
• Web documents; These are documents which have been created using hypertext
language like https in form of pages which are linked together to form a website.
• Graphics; These are documents in form of animation or cartoon, they look like real
images but they are just imaginations of the real image.
• Video clips; These are documents in form of video or moving images which show real
images they are created using video cameras for example movies, films, tapes.
• Multimedia presentations; These are documents in form of slides created to form a
brief show or presentation e.g. power point presentation.
• Voice mail messages; These are documents in form of voice recording using phone
recording, social media voice clips like on messenger, WhatsApp.
Formats/Categories of electronic records and information
• Data sets; These are groups of related electronic records organised and
treated as a unit for example, database.
• Text-based documents; These are primarily basic word-processed
documents with words only and few or no graphic images for example,
Microsoft word.
• Multi-dimensional documents; These are records that are represented
in more than one way on the computer screen and one way on the
printed paper page e.g. excel sheet.
• Multi-media documents; These are documents composed of a number
of different elements like moving image, sound and text documents
which interact together to display their full meaning.
General characteristics of records
(a) Authenticity - an authentic record is one that can be proven (i) to be what it
purports to be; (ii) to have been created or sent by the person purported to have
created or sent it; and (iii) to have been created or sent at the time purported;
(b) Reliability - a reliable record is one whose contents can be trusted as a full
and accurate representation of the transactions, activities or facts to which they
attest and can be depended upon in the course of subsequent transactions or
activities;
(c) Integrity - the integrity of a record refers to its being complete and unaltered;
and
(d) Usability - a usable record is one that can be located, retrieved, presented
and interpreted. It should be capable of subsequent presentation as directly
connected to the business activity or transaction that produced it.
Additionally electronic records have the following specific
characteristics
• Require much less storage space
• Faster retrieval
• Online access
• Some records are copied
• An electronic record can be manipulated, transmitted or processed by a
computer
• Each time a record is manipulated, it becomes a new record
• Accessed using computer software and hardware
• Unstable storage medium
• Expensive, evolving technology
Attributes of e-records and information
Electronic records have three attributes: content, context and structure.
Content; what the record says
Structure; relates to both the appearance and arrangement of the content; e.g. the
layout, fonts, page and paragraph breaks, tables, graphs, charts, etc.) and the
relationship of the record to other related records in the system (i.e. the links).
Context; it is the background information that helps explain the meaning of the
document.
Firstly, there is information that identifies the particular document, such as the title,
author and date of creation.
Secondly, there is information about the creator and the purpose of creation, for
instance, the nature of the business function or activity, the creating agency and unit
concerned.
Risks associated with electronic records and information
The fragility of the media (e.g. magnetic tapes and CD-ROMs) upon
which they are recorded. These media are inherently unstable,
requiring specific storage conditions and are highly susceptible to
damage during handling and use.
The ease of manipulation (i.e. updated, deleted, altered intentionally
or inadvertently) without being discovered.
The absence of self-evident and ready contextual information (e.g.
who created it, when, to whom was it sent, why) to enable that the
records are understandable and usable over time.
Risks associated with electronic
records and information cont.
Decentralization of computing environment: The challenge of managing
electronic records significantly increases with the decentralization of the
computing environment.
Complexity of electronic records: Electronic records have evolved from simple
text-based files to complex digital objects that may contain embedded images
(still and moving), drawings, sounds, hyperlinks, or spreadsheets with
computational formulas.
Obsolescence and aging of storage media: Storage media are affected by the
dual problems of obsolescence and decay. They are fragile, have limited shelf
life, and become obsolete in a few years. Few computers today have disk
drives that can read information stored on 8- or 5¼-inch diskettes, even if the
diskettes themselves remain readable.
Risks associated with electronic
records and information cont.
Massive volumes: Electronic records are increasingly being created in
volumes that pose significant technical challenge to our ability to
organise and make them accessible.
Software and hardware dependency: Electronic records are created on
computers with software ranging from word-processors to E-mail
programs. As computer hardware and application software become
obsolete, they may leave behind electronic records that cannot be read
without the original hardware and software.
Staff training on electronic information systems is more costly and
time-consuming. The training required for a paper-records system may
be minimal and can often be easily accomplished on the job.
Benefits of sound electronic
records and information
management
• Authentic, reliable records allow personnel to make decisions and
perform duties effectively and efficiently.
• Well-managed records provide evidence of policies, decisions,
actions, and transactions, demonstrating the organisation’s
accountability and supporting transparency and openness.
• Time is saved because filing systems are easy to use and well-
structured and because records can be retrieved quickly and
efficiently whenever they are needed.
• Records storage costs are reduced because redundant records are
removed systematically, freeing up filing and server space.
Benefits of sound electronic
records and information
management cont.
• Superseded or obsolete documents are securely destroyed, with destruction
decisions documented, so that the organisation can always demonstrate the
appropriate management of all documents and records.
• Vital records are identified and protected, supporting business continuity and
disaster recovery efforts.
• Protection and support in litigation, including the management of risks
associated with the existence or lack of evidence of organisational activity.
• Ability to support current and future research and development activities.
• Improved comprehensiveness and reliability of corporate memory.
• Fraud can be identified and proven since records are well managed throughout
their life.
END OF PRESENTATION ONE
THANK YOU
