Applying the Australian Series system to the management of current records
| Date | 01 August 2003 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09565690310485270 |
| Pages | 54-61 |
| Published date | 01 August 2003 |
| Author | Paul Feldman |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Applying the Australian
Series system to the
management of current
records
Paul Feldman
Introduction
This article explains how the Australian Series
system can be used to good effect by records
managers.
Although used primarily for archival
description, the Series system provides a basis
for aggregate level description and contextual
linkages to support the management of
current records. In particular, it can:
.assist the use and management of records
where current records management
systems have limited functionality or user
compliance is limited;
.record the existence of informal localised
accumulations of documents and the extent
to which they can be relied upon; and
.be used to keep track of the origins of
records in larger organisations and shared
systems, especially over time.
However, as well as serving these purposes, the
Series system can also provide the basis for a
targeted analysis of the creation and
management of records. Such analysis can
provide structured evidence of the need to
improve existing practices and systems, and can
help to identify priority areas for improvement.
The Australian Series system
The Series system is an archival control
system or metadata system, used for
describing records and linking them to their
provenance. In recent years the system has
been used primarily to describe records in the
custody of archival institutions. However, the
concepts and descriptive model embodied in
the system can also be usefully employed to
document the content, context and
management requirements of current records
at an aggregate level. This documentation
includes description of the records'
administrative context (their provenance or
office of origin, and the business activities
they record) and their record context (their
relationship with complementary records, and
significant features of the environment in
which they were created).
In records management systems
conforming with current best practice, as
specified in the international standard ISO
15489 (ISO, 2001), aggregate level
description based on the Series system
represents a worthwhile complement to the
The author
Paul Feldman is Assistant Director, Collection
Documentation, at the National Archives of Australia,
Parkes, Australia.
Keywords
Archives, Documentation, Records management, Australia
Abstract
The Australian Series system is an archival control or
metadata system, used primarily to describe records in the
custody of archival institutions. However, the article
explains how concepts and descriptive model embodied in
the system can also be usefully employed to document
the content, context and management requirements of
current records, including electronic records, at an
aggregate level. This can assist in situations where
records have been undermanaged, where the
functionality of existing systems is limited, or where there
are multiple localised systems. The system can be used as
a basis to gather and present structured evidence of the
need to improve existing practices. It can also assist the
management of legacy records, once improved systems
have been established.
Electronic access
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The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
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54
Records Management Journal
Volume 13 .Number 2 .2003 .pp. 54-61
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/09565690310485270
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