Assessing records management in China against ISO 15489 and the implications
| Published date | 01 April 2004 |
| Date | 01 April 2004 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09565690410528929 |
| Pages | 33-39 |
| Author | Xiaomi An,Hongyan Jiao |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Assessing records
management in China
against ISO 15489 and
the implications
Xiaomi An and
Hongyan Jiao
Introduction
As the first international standard for records
management, ISO 15489 was issued by ISO
(International Organization for
Standardization) in October 2001 (ISO
15489-1: 2001):
This standard is a normative document that sets
the parameters within which a records
management program should be established,
regardless of the size of the enterprise, the type or
location of the organization, or the level of
technology to be used (Connelly, 2001).
This article introduces records management in
China and its features and then focuses on
measuring that against ISO 15489-1. The
analysis of Chinese records management
practice is mainly based on two representative
manuals ± The Scientific Management of Records
Work (Zhao, 1993) and The Textbook for
Electronic Records Management (Feng, 2001).
The former is for the paper world and the latter
for the electronic and digital world. Both
received national academic awards and are
recommended as the best manuals for teaching
university students as well as for training
records managers and archivists in post. In
addition, national regulations, rules and
standards of records and archives management
(State Archives Bureau, State Economy
Committee and State Planning Committee,
1987; State Archives Bureau, 1987a, b; 1991;
1996; 2000a, b) are also used as a basis for the
analysis.
An overview of features of records
management in China
Records management in China is understood
more narrowly in the archival community and
the real world. According to the life cycle
theory, it is limited to current records, which
are still in active use for their initial creation
purpose. Other records, such as semi-current
records and non-current records, which have
The authors
Xiaomi An is an Associate Professor, at the Archives
College, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.
Hongyan Jiao is an Archivist at the Second Academy of
China Aerospace Archives, Beijing, China.
Keywords
Records management, Archives, International standards,
China
Abstract
ISO 15489 has provided best practice guidelines for records
management which have many implications to the world.
This paper, based on the results of a research project,
provides a case study which shows that ISO 15489 can also
be used for measuring records management performance as
well. It can contribute to the identification of gaps between
best practice, captured in the standard, and what is
happening in reality in relation to records management
policies, programmes, procedures and processes. It can then
provide directions for further effective improvement. The
author introduces records management in China and its
features to provide the context and then measures records
management in China against items of ISO 15489. Based on
the weaknesses found, the author gives suggestions for the
improvement of records management in China.
Electronic access
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm This paper is written based on findings of a research
project ``Research in best practice standards for
managing urban development records and archives in
21st century'', a project sponsored by the Scientific
Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas
Chinese Scholars.
33
Records Management Journal
Volume 14 .Number 1 .2004 .pp. 33-39
#Emerald Group Publishing Limited .ISSN 0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/09565690410528929
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