Perspectives on the relationship between records management and information governance
| Date | 11 March 2019 |
| Published date | 11 March 2019 |
| Pages | 5-17 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/RMJ-09-2018-0032 |
| Author | Julie Brooks |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance |
Perspectives on the relationship
between records management and
information governance
Julie Brooks
School of History, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
Purpose –The increasing prominence of the use of the term information governance (IG) raises
fundamental questions about the role and relevance of recordsmanagement in today’s organisations. As a
starting point, this paper aims to explore the relationship between records management and IG by
consideringboth recordkeeping and non-recordkeepingperspectives.
Design/methodology/approach –The research discussesliterature chiefly from 2013 to the present to
shed light on how discussion of the relationshipbetween records management and IG has evolved over the
past few years.
Findings –A range of perspectives on the relationship betweenrecords management and IG was evident
and, notably, a lack of direct engagement from the records management community. Taking the positive
perspectives that emerged, IG was seen as an opportunity for records management. By contrast, others
regarded it as a necessary successor to records management,the latter perceived as too associated with the
paper era to be capable of meeting the organisational information needs of today. Equally, others were
sceptical about the real differenceIG offered, suggesting it was in part a rebranding exercise, which did not
necessarilyarticulate anything fundamentally new.
Originality/value –Defining literaturein the broadest sense, this paper offersa high-level review of some
of the recent discussionsthat have taken place in a wide variety of contexts aroundthe relationship between
records management and IG. It includesjournal articles, books, online discussions from professional forums
and listservs, vendor contributions,opinion-pieces and blogs and in particular focuses on presentinga range
of viewpoints from individuals operating within various information-related spaces, including records and
information management, IG, and information technology. It is hoped that this preliminary research will
encouragefurther engagement on the subject from recordkeeping professionals.
Keywords Information management, Records management, Information governance
Paper type Literature review
Introduction
This review explores perspectives on the relationship between records management and
information governance (IG) using contemporary literature fromboth recordkeeping[1] and
non-recordkeeping perspectives following on from research by Hagmann (2013) exploring,
“the still immature conceptof IG from a records and information management perspective”.
Suggesting that IG was becoming “a trendsettingcontainer for capturing almost everything
and nothing in the world of information management”, he considered the issue of “whether
IG is just the newest buzzwordor if it is actually becoming a new paradigm that will change
the face of RIM.”This research analyses literature from around that time to the present to
shed light on how opinions on the relationship between records management and IG have
since evolved and aims to contribute to wider discussions about the role and relevance of
records management in an increasingly broad information landscape. What impact, if any,
has IG as a concept and an approach on the professional roles and boundaries of records
Relationship
between RM
and IG
5
Received24 September 2018
Revised28 November 2018
13December 2018
Accepted14 December 2018
RecordsManagement Journal
Vol.29 No. 1/2, 2019
pp. 5-17
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/RMJ-09-2018-0032
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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