This master's thesis deals with documents and records management using the computer information systems in the Enterprise Content Management. The thesis explains basic terms relating to the implementation of information systems and incorporates such systems into the structure of enterprises information systems. Further it describes all main features of currently used systems for the Enterprise Content Management and it explains the fundamental legislative aspects of operation of such information systems. The second part of this thesis practically prepares the implementation of the Enterprise Content Management System in a specific organization of the public sector. The preparation of the implementation is performed from the initial analysis of processes in the organization to the definition of requirements on a specific information system. The knowledge of benefits from the use of an information system in an organization is the precondition of an effective use of such an information system in documents and records management and that is why this thesis proposes a method for measuring of benefits arising from the use of document and records management system in the organization.

Magister Library and Information Studies - MLIS / Universities face complex changes such as mergers; new competitors; socio-economic; political and technological changes. In order to survive and preserve competitive advantage, the university has to adapt to such changes. The University of the Western Cape has been through many changes since its establishment to its current status as a culturally diverse autonomous institution with a mission statement that reflects its ability to respond and adapt to change. Universities that can adapt to changes are considered to be intelligent. Intelligent universities adapt to changing and unpredictable environments by organizing all information resources; transforming information to knowledge; and using this knowledge to enhance performance. Records are an information resource. They contain evidence of business activities of an organization, their management therefore is important. This study was undertaken to add knowledge and insight into records management in the intelligent university by investigating whether records management contributes to making the University of the Western Cape intelligent. Records management is a function within an organization, hence the researcher's choice of the functionalist theory to frame this exploratory qualitative case study. Secondary sources, semi structured interviews; and electronic questionnaires were used to collect data from purposively selected participants. The data was imported and analysed on a qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti7, version 7.5.10. The findings of the study showed that records management as a function was not used optimally by the university due to limited knowledge and awareness of its existence; as well as other services it offers. Records management therefore does not contribute to making the University of the Western Cape intelligent. Marketing, training, strategic placement of the records management function on the university organizational structure, integration with other components, implementation of electronic records management and a records management model for the intelligent university were recommended to address short-comings. This study adds more knowledge on records management in the intelligent university and brings to light the importance of the records management function; highlights how university records can be used for competitive advantage as well as decision-making; and aids in developing a records management model for an intelligent university. A large scale national study in other institutions of higher learning to provide a clearer picture of whether records management plays a role in making South African universities intelligent is recommended.

Organizations are experiencing problems with the control of information in computer-based information systems. Records management is a system that consists of a number of elements to control recorded information over its life cycle. Previous studies have ranked various records management activities. However, these studies were not conducted in Australia, were not specifically related to computerbased information systems, and were based on the frequency with which records management tasks, or duties and responsibilities were being performed by records management personnel rather than the perceived importance of records management elements for overcoming problems. This study is conducted in Australia on the role of records management within the context of computer-based information systems. It has two purposes: to determine whether there is an appreciable difference in the perceived importance of the various records management elements for overcoming excessive quantity, poor quality and storage media problems in computer-based information systems by RMAA individual members; and to determine whether regardless of professional involvement and level of education of RMAA individual members, there is no statistically significant difference in the perceived importance of the various records management elements in computer-based information systems for overcoming these three problems. To carry out the research a questionnaire was devised and distributed to individual members of the Records Management Association of Australia. The survey obtained a usable response rate of 53.1 percent from a population of 399 individual members of the Association. The study indicated that there is a difference in the perceived importance of the various records management elements for overcoming excessive quantity, poor quality and storage media problems in computer-based information systems. There was evidence to suggest that respondents frequently involved in professional activities are more likely to consider certain records management elements more important than respondents not frequently involved in these activities. The study also found that level of education is associated with the selection of certain records management elements. In particular, those respondents with no tertiary qualifications are more likely to consider the records management elements mail management and a records retention and disposition schedule important than respondents with tertiary qualifications.

The increased demand from citizens for efficient service delivery from public sector organizations has implications for the information that underpins those services. Robust and effective information management is required. Information is looked upon as a resource that can give organizations a competitive edge if it is well leveraged. To address the need for more services and for more efficient service delivery, the Swedish government has promoted e-government initiatives and the two municipalities that are the subjects of this research have responded by engaging in e-service development and provision. e-Government has at its core the use of information and communication technology (ICT).  The municipalities have embarked on the analysis and automation of their business processes and hence the use of information systems.  Web-based technologies have created a two-way communication flow which has generated complex information for the municipalities to address. This development calls for stronger information and records management regimes. Enterprise Content Management is a new information management construct proposed to help organizations to deal with all their information resources. It promotes enterprise-wide information management. There is, however, little knowledge and understanding of ECM in the Swedish public sector. Further, how e-government developments have affected the management of information is an issue that has not been explored. Traditionally Swedish public authorities have employed records management to address the challenges of managing information. Records management has been used for the effective and systematic capture of records and the maintenance of their reliability and authenticity. While information helps with the daily running of business activities, records carry the evidentiary value of the interactions between the citizens and the municipalities. This research critically examines the interface between Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and records management as information/records management approaches. This has meant examining what the similarities and the differences between the two approaches are.  The research instrumentally used the lens of the Records Continuum Model (RCM), which promotes the management of the entire records’ continuum, a proactive approach, combines the management of archives and records and supports the pluralisation of the captured records. The research further highlights the information management challenges that the municipalities are facing as they engage in e-government developments.    Keywords: Enterprise Content Management, Records Management, E-government, Long-term Preservation, Business Process Management, Enterprise Architecture. / Centre for Digital Information Management

This thesis has focused on digital born personal archives; how they are different from analog paper archives and possible ways to overbridge these differences. It is also studied how archivists and librarians are dealing with digital archives, what they think about new proactive solutions when collecting private papers and collections and positive and negative effects with this way to work. The thesis is delimitated to only private collections and digital created material. It do not concern digitized material or electronic documents in government or business organizations. The challenges in digital curation and administration are discussed in aspect of the Records Continuum Model. The empirical material is also put in relation to research in Personal Information Management and identity theory. Two qualitative methods have been used, a case study of an authors personal electronic archive and five deep-going interviews with archivists and librarians working with personal collections in university libraries. This study shows that many difficulties and problems displayed in the electronic archive could be solved in the future with a more proactive approach and early cooperation with the collector. By educating and informing creators of personal records about file formats, archival structure and the need of them to engage in their own collection, more personal digital records could be preserved. Librarians and archivists are imagining more proactive work in the future but are also asking for other solutions. A lot of the challenges united with electronic personal archives are associated with lacking continuity which is a reason to use the Records Continuum Model to explain and work with personal digital collections. This is a two year master’s thesis in archival science.

Government computers are generating enormous volumes of e-records such as e-mails, word processed documents and databases. The immediate challenge of the public sector is therefore to preserve these digital records and make them accessible to future generations. The present study was conducted to investigate the management of e-records in the public sector in Lesotho. The objectives of the study guided the researcher to find out what IT infrastructure and resources existed. The study looked at which records were currently being created and strategies and policies used in managing those records. The archival legislation was reviewed to assess how it affected e-records. An e-records model suitable for managing e-records in Lesotho was suggested. The study adopted the descriptive research by utilizing the case study approach. Interview schedules were employed for data gathering, together with observations. The literature review guided the content of the interview schedule. Data was analyzed according to the objectives of the study. The overall findings revealed that the public sector in Lesotho was not managing its e­-records satisfactorily. The public sector did not have legislation that specifically dealt with managing e-records, there were no written policies, strategies and guidelines were non-existent. The study also revealed that there were no qualified personnel with expertise and skills in the management of e-records in the public sector. The study's conclusions and recommendations were that the public sector be allocated more resources and IT infrastructure. Staff should be trained, policies should be formulated, legislation should be amended to accommodate e-records and, lastly, the study recommended that the public sector in Lesotho should adopt the South African e­-records management model. / Thesis (MIS)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

For centuries, the theory and principles of diplomatics have played a role in the work of European archivists. In North America, however, its relevance is still under scrutiny. This thesis employs diplomatic analysis to test its validity when applied to modern documents and procedures. To investigate the significance of diplomatic methodology and analysis, this thesis first discusses the recent history and structure of the British Columbia court system. It then examines a selection of case files from the civil, probate and bankruptcy registries, and it assigns the documents within to one of the six phases of a procedure: initiative, inquiry, consultation, deliberation, deliberation control, and execution. The study concludes by discussing the diplomatic character of the procedures and its importance in the understanding of modern records. More specifically, it outlines how diplomatics and procedural analysis can assist records professionals in the development of classification systems and retention and disposition schedules; the design of automated records management systems; and archival appraisal, arrangement and description.

For over forty years, archivists and records managers have developed and advocated numerous theories and methodologies for the preservation of authentic and reliable organizational digital records. Many different tools, standards, and guidelines have been created to enhance and safeguard the content and context of digital records across multiple migrations. In addition, several archives have been able to create and sustain full-scale digital preservation programs. However, in spite of these successes, most archives and records management programs are not yet capable of preserving digital records indefinitely. Long-term archival digital preservation advocacy is defined as efforts undertaken by archivists and records managers to convince others, inside and outside their professions, to support the concepts, methodologies, and resources necessary to implement long-term digital preservation. Advocacy as a political- and policy-focused activity to convince a targeted audience to act is distinguished from archival “public programming” that is centered around outreach, publicity, exhibitions, and reference services. Advocacy for long-term digital preservation has not been widely successful, as evidenced by the relative small number of fully supported and fully functional archival digital preservation programs. As a result, the potential for a “dark age” characterized over the long term by a dearth of surviving, readable, and contextualized digital records is very real. This thesis explores why advocacy efforts have created only limited success, as well as what might be done to improve this situation. It rethinks long-term digital preservation as an issue of advocacy and will, as well as one of technology, strategy, or theory. Chapter One opens the thesis with a brief discussion of computers and digital records, placing advocacy efforts within a historical and technological context. Chapter Two presents an intellectual history of long-term digital records preservation advocacy literature and practice, demonstrating how advocacy “messages” have been formulated, disseminated, and “sold.” It also illustrates the multitude of informational resources and technological “solutions” that are now available to assist archivists and records managers in undertaking long-term digital preservation activities. Chapter Three tests the resonance of advocacy efforts through a series of surveys which I conducted with archivists and records managers from a variety of government, corporate, educational, and other institutions, as well as follow-up interviews with Manitoba-based records professionals. Survey questions were developed based on my examination of long-term digital preservation advocacy literature in Chapter Two, while interview questions were based on the responses of survey participants. Chapter Four concludes the thesis with a series of recommendations on improving long-term digital preservation advocacy. It argues for archivists and records managers to increase their personal commitment to long-term digital preservation, which includes having the will to embrace change and get started. Records professionals must also produce more practical internal guidance to assist archivists and records managers in undertaking preservation activities. In addition, the development and delivery of external advocacy “messages” must be improved, so that advocacy arguments better resonate with those responsible for funding organizational records management and archival preservation programs for digital records.

This thesis will examine the manual hospital document retrieval system and electronic document scanning system. From this examination, requirements will be listed for the Administrative Reporting for the Hospital Document Scanning System which will provide better service and reliability than the previous systems. To assure that the requirements can be met, this will be developed into a working system which is named as the Administrative Reporting for the Hospital Document Scanning System(ARHDSS). / Department of Computer Science

For over forty years, archivists and records managers have developed and advocated numerous theories and methodologies for the preservation of authentic and reliable organizational digital records. Many different tools, standards, and guidelines have been created to enhance and safeguard the content and context of digital records across multiple migrations. In addition, several archives have been able to create and sustain full-scale digital preservation programs. However, in spite of these successes, most archives and records management programs are not yet capable of preserving digital records indefinitely. Long-term archival digital preservation advocacy is defined as efforts undertaken by archivists and records managers to convince others, inside and outside their professions, to support the concepts, methodologies, and resources necessary to implement long-term digital preservation. Advocacy as a political- and policy-focused activity to convince a targeted audience to act is distinguished from archival “public programming” that is centered around outreach, publicity, exhibitions, and reference services. Advocacy for long-term digital preservation has not been widely successful, as evidenced by the relative small number of fully supported and fully functional archival digital preservation programs. As a result, the potential for a “dark age” characterized over the long term by a dearth of surviving, readable, and contextualized digital records is very real. This thesis explores why advocacy efforts have created only limited success, as well as what might be done to improve this situation. It rethinks long-term digital preservation as an issue of advocacy and will, as well as one of technology, strategy, or theory. Chapter One opens the thesis with a brief discussion of computers and digital records, placing advocacy efforts within a historical and technological context. Chapter Two presents an intellectual history of long-term digital records preservation advocacy literature and practice, demonstrating how advocacy “messages” have been formulated, disseminated, and “sold.” It also illustrates the multitude of informational resources and technological “solutions” that are now available to assist archivists and records managers in undertaking long-term digital preservation activities. Chapter Three tests the resonance of advocacy efforts through a series of surveys which I conducted with archivists and records managers from a variety of government, corporate, educational, and other institutions, as well as follow-up interviews with Manitoba-based records professionals. Survey questions were developed based on my examination of long-term digital preservation advocacy literature in Chapter Two, while interview questions were based on the responses of survey participants. Chapter Four concludes the thesis with a series of recommendations on improving long-term digital preservation advocacy. It argues for archivists and records managers to increase their personal commitment to long-term digital preservation, which includes having the will to embrace change and get started. Records professionals must also produce more practical internal guidance to assist archivists and records managers in undertaking preservation activities. In addition, the development and delivery of external advocacy “messages” must be improved, so that advocacy arguments better resonate with those responsible for funding organizational records management and archival preservation programs for digital records.