ISO 15489 Records Management: its development and significance
| Pages | 96-103 |
| Date | 30 March 2010 |
| Published date | 30 March 2010 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09565691011039861 |
| Author | Susan Healy |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
ISO 15489 Records Management:
its development and
significance
Susan Healy
Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond, UK
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of producing ISO 15489 Records
Management, and to explore some of the professional and other issues that arise for consideration at
an international level.
Design/methodology/approach – The process of producing ISO 15489 Records Management is
described, along with some of the thinking behind that process,
Findings – In one sense, the contents of ISO 15489 are less important than its existence. The fact that
records managers can point to an ISO/BSI Standard for their discipline can be used to improve the
image and status of records management in the eyes of those who know little or nothing of the subject.
The Standard is a statement of good practice in records management. It is also something that can be
passed to professionals in other fields when working on projects together. Also, the internationalising
process has made the Standard more suitable than AS 4390 for the UK environment.
Originality/value – The paper identifies some of the benefits of the Standard for records
management in the UK.
Keywords ISO 9000 series,Standards, Records management,Archives management,
Information management
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
In this article I shall describe the process of developing the international standard ISO
15489[1] and its associated Technical Report, and some of their contents and assess the
Standard’s significance for records management in the UK[2].
First, an explanation of the abbreviations and acronyms I shall use. ISO stands for
International Standards Organisation, a body based in Geneva that oversees the issue
of international Standards. The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the UK NMB
(National Member Body of ISO). The ISO Technical Committee under whose auspices
we worked is TC 46 and its Records Management Sub-committee is SC 11, hence the
reference to TC 46/SC 11. The BSI counterparts are IDT 2 at the Committee level
(standing for Information Documentation Terminology) and Sub-committee 17, hence
IDT 2/17. Key stages in development of a Standard are production of a Committee
Draft (CD), a Draft International Standard (DIS) and a Final Draft International
Standard (FDIS). Finally, the sections making up a Standard are called clauses.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-5698.htm
This article was originally published in Records Management Journal, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 133-42
(2001), and has been republished as part of the journal’s 20th anniversary commemorative issue.
RMJ
20,1
96
Records Management Journal
Vol. 20 No. 1, 2010
pp. 96-103
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/09565691011039861
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