Glossary of Terms

Appraisal

The process of evaluating an organisation's activities to determine which records should be kept, and for how long, to meet the needs of the organisation, the requirements of accountability and the expectations of researchers and other users of the records.

Archives

Records that are recognized as having long-term (including historical and cultural) value.

Current Records

Those records which are being regularly used for the conduct of business (see also 'records lifecycle').

Data Protection Act 1998

Provides legal rights to individuals with regard to the personal information held about them by others.

• Data Protection Act

Disposal

The implementation of appraisal and review decisions. These comprise the destruction of records and transfer of selected records to the Archive. They may also include the movement of records from one system to another (eg paper to electronic) or the transfer of custody of the records.

Document

The smallest unit of filing, generally a single letter, form, report or other item housed in a filing system

Electronic Document Management System (EDMS)

A proprietary electronic system that scans, stores and retrieves documents received or created by the University. The 'Serengeti' software currently used by the Finance Department for managing invoices is an example of such a system.

Electronic Records

Records where the information is recorded in a form that is suitable for retrieval, processing and communication by a digital computer.

File

A group of related documents, contained within a file cover and fastened together. A virtual file can be created for electronic documents.

Finding Aids

Indexes or other lists, manual or automated, that are designed to make it easier to locate relevant files or retrieve information.

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Provides a general statutory right of access to information of any age and in any format held by Scottish public authorities, subject to a number of limited exemptions. The Act becomes law on 1 st January 2005.

• Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Hardcopy

All information that is not held in an electronic format and can be read without additional equipment. Includes files, maps and plans, and bound volumes.

Medium

The format on which a record is held, ie paper, microfiche, microfilm, electronic, optical disc, magnetic tape etc.

Metadata

Information about an organisations records, including information about their nature, extent and location, the context of their creation or receipt, the means of access to them and decisions relating to their future management.

Non-current Records

Those records which have little or no business value, though they may be used for other purposes, such as historical research (see also 'records lifecycle').

Record Series

A collection of records having a common subject or theme or function eg annual accounts, invoices, committee minutes, Head of Department's correspondence files etc. A series is distinguished by the fact that it provides evidence of a particular process and as such may vary in size from a single document (eg College Strategic Plan) to many thousands in the case of invoices.

Records

Those documents required to facilitate the business carried out by the University and retained for a set period to provide evidence of its transactions or activities. Records may be created, received or maintained in hard copy, optical or electronic format.

Records Lifecycle

A concept for describing the various stages through which information passes in recorded form. Records are current from their creation and for as long as their administrative value remains at its highest. They become semi-current when their administrative value declines and reference to them becomes irregular and less frequent. When a record has ceased to have any administrative value at all it is non-current.

Records Management

The field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, maintenance, use and disposition of records.

Records Survey

A systematic exercise to locate and identify all the records held by a particular business area.

Registration

The process of records creation and its recording in an appropriate finding aid, such as a register, index, computer database etc.

Retention Schedule

An index to different types of records, detailing how long they should be kept for in order to meet operational and legal requirements. For example, to meet VAT and taxation regulations, there is an obligation to keep most financial records for the current year +6, making the effective period of retention 7 years.

Semi-current Records

Those records whose business value has declined, but which may still be referred to on an irregular basis (see also 'records lifecycle').

Tracking

Capturing and maintaining information about the movement, use and transaction of records.

Version Control

A procedure which seeks to identify and manage records which are subject to intensive redrafting, thereby enabling differences in authorship and content to be logged and controlled.

Vital Records

Those records crucial to the conduct of the University's business and without which the University would be unable to function should they be destroyed by fire, flood or any other catastrophe. Identification of vital records would form an integral part of any business continuity planning.