Records Management Education and Training World‐Wide: A General Overview of the Current Situation
| Published date | 01 April 1998 |
| Pages | 25-54 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000007229 |
| Date | 01 April 1998 |
| Author | Zawiyah M Yusof,Robert W Chell |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Records Management Education
and Training World-Wide: A
General Overview of the Current
Situation
ZAWIYAH M YUSOF AND ROBERT W CHELL
Abstract
This article is the result of a brief survey, conducted across the Internet by
researchers from the Archives and Records Management Programme at the
University of Wales at Aberystwyth. The authors discuss the need for records
management training and education world-wide, and the emergence of records
management as a subset of information management, with an acknowledged
impact on the systematic and efficient management of organisations. They show
how the focus of records management has shifted over the recent past from the
archival management of unwanted documents, to the management of electronic
systems, giving records managers an equal standing with other professionals in
the field of information management. Using a comparison between Malaysia,
where much of the training is provided by visiting consultants, and the United
Kingdom, where records management training is provided by the universities,
the authors conclude that the needs of qualified and well-informed professionals
in this distinct field is dependent upon the training and education provided by
courses in universities world-wide. Their survey, however, reveals that there is no
standard approach to the training provided by these institutions: some are
likely to reflect their archival origins, others represent various streams of the
broad context of information studies.
Introduction
It is generally accepted that education plays an important role in updat-
ing knowledge and skill. It applies both to those who are already in work
as well as to prospective workers. Education and training are an essen-
tial element in the life-long development of skill and expertise.
Records Management Journal, vol. 8, no. 1, April 1998, pp. 25–54
Records Management Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1, April 1998
© Aslib, The Association for Information Management.
All rights reserved. Except as otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
Aslib, The Association for Information Management
Staple Hall, Stone House Court, London EC3A 7PB
Tel: +44 (0) 171 903 0000, Fax: +44 (0) 171 903 0011
Email: pubs@aslib.co.uk, WWW: http://www.aslib.co.uk/aslib
Records Management Training
In developed countries, particularly the United Kingdom (UK) and the
United States of America (USA), the usefulness and benefit of system-
atic records management in business has promoted companies to provide
education and training for those engaged in records related activities
within their organisations. Wallace, Lee and Schubert1point out that the
most obvious way for records managers to enhance their resourcefulness
is through education. The training and upgrading of skills can be
achieved through workshops, vendor-sponsored programs, professional
seminars, and college or university-level courses.
Records Management and Archives Training in the UK
In the UK, records management training and education is provided by
the four accredited archive training courses at the University of Wales,
Aberystwyth (UWA); the University of Bangor, University College
London (SLAIS)and the University of Liverpool (LUCAS). UWA has
recently introduced a specific records management course as has the
University of Northumbria at Newcastle (UNN).
Aberystwyth offers records management training through the
Department of Information and Library Studies. It is offered as an
optional and elective module for undergraduates, and for postgraduates
taking the MScEcon in Information and Library Studies. It is a com-
pulsory module for postgraduates taking the UDIP/MScEcon in Archive
Administration, and a core module for those taking the UDIP/MScEcon
in Records Management. The course seeks to provide an educational
experience which is able to deliver the knowledge required by the new
records manager/archivist and to do it in a manner that, where possible,
corresponds to the work environment.
University College London offers two modules on records management:
one for local (i.e. the UK) students and one for international candidates.
Both these modules are offered at certificate, diploma and master’s
degree level through the School of Library, Archive and Information
Studies (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/SLAIS/slais.htm). The MA/Graduate
Diploma in Archives and Records Management gives graduates the
foundation for a career in archives and records management in a wide
range of organisations. The certificate programme is offered for one term
only, to provide students with an opportunity to study certain aspects of
the curriculum. It is not recognised as a professional qualification.
The MA/Diploma/Certificate in Records and Archives Management
(International), on the other hand, is designed to meet the needs of inter-
national students engaged in managing records at any point in the
records lifecycle. Its aim is to prepare records managers and archivists to
26
Records Management Journal vol. 8 no. 1
Records Management Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1, April 1998
© Aslib, The Association for Information Management.
All rights reserved. Except as otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
Aslib, The Association for Information Management
Staple Hall, Stone House Court, London EC3A 7PB
Tel: +44 (0) 171 903 0000, Fax: +44 (0) 171 903 0011
Email: pubs@aslib.co.uk, WWW: http://www.aslib.co.uk/aslib
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