Electronic Records in the Archival Curriculum Jane Zhang

Electronic Records in the Archival Curriculum Jane Zhang, Catholic University of America SAA 2014 Research Forum Tuesday, August 12 Washington, DC

Introduction • Electronic records management (ERM) as a specialized course in NA archival curricula – Appeared in the early 1990 s – 15 archival programs by 2013 • Content analysis of electronic records management courses – ERM course areas – ERM course topics – Correlations between them

Course Content Analysis § Research focused on course content analysis has been traditionally weak in archival education curriculum development. § Archival introductory courses § Timothy Ericson (1993) § James O’Toole (1997) § Bastian and Yakel (2006)

Research Data § 40 programs made available on the SAA Archival Education Directory § 15 programs offer ERM courses, 12 ERM course syllabi available online § 58%: 2013 versions § 42% : earlier versions (2009 -2012) § 140 weekly topics collected from the 12 ERM syllabi

Course Area Analysis § Archival foundation courses § 40 programs § Record management (RM) § 21 programs § Electronic records management (ERM) § 15 programs § Digital preservation § 10 programs § Digital archives § 3 programs

Course Area Combination § Archival foundation + RM + ERM (3) § Archival foundation + ERM + digital preservation (5) § Archival foundation + RM + ERM + digital preservation (6) § Archival foundation + RM + ERM + digital archives (1)

Course Topic Distribution § Introduction: overview, key concepts, knowledge and skills (100% / 1. 25) § Business and technology environments (42% / 1) § Requirements, standards, and best practices (67% / 1. 38) § Legal, ethical, social, and compliance issues (42% / 2. 2)

Course Topic Distribution § Electronic records management programs (42% / 1) § Records management processes and techniques (92% / 1. 9) § Managing electronic records in various environments (50% / 1. 8 ) § Managing specific types of electronic records (83% / 2)

Course Topic Distribution § System approaches and software solutions (50% / 1. 3) § Records access and use (33% / 2) § Long-term preservation (58% / 2. 1) § Electronic records and digital archives (42% / 2)

Course Topic Popularity § How can we decide which topic groups are popular choices among most programs and which are not? § If a topic group contains a higher number of topics § If a topic group has a higher percentage of program coverage § If a topic group has a higher topic distribution ratio

Top Range § Introduction, overview, key concepts, knowledge and skills § Records management processes and techniques § Managing specific types of electronic records § Long-term preservation

Middle Range § Requirements, standards, and best practices § Legal, ethical, social, and compliance issues § Managing electronic records in various environments § System approaches and software solutions § Electronic records and digital archives

Bottom Range § Business and technology environments § Electronic records management programs § Records access and use

Correlation: RM and ERM Courses § ERM topics strong in programs with regular RM courses § § Business and technology environments Legal, ethical, social, and compliance issues Specific types of electronic records System approaches and software solutions § ERM topics strong in programs that do not offer RM courses § Electronic records management programs § RM processes and techniques

Correlation: Digital Preservation and ERM Courses § If digital preservation is offered as a separate course, the program may not invest as many class hours for the same topic in its ERM course. § If the digital preservation course is not offered, the program then uses more time to cover the topic of digital preservation topic in its ERM syllabus.

Conclusion § The findings of this study highlight the role of electronic records in an integrated archival education. § What content to cover in an ERM course very much depends on how the course is structured in the archival curricula.

Bibliography • Bastian, J. A. & Yakel, E. (2006). Towards the development of an archival core curriculum: The United States and Canada. Archival Science 6, 133 -150 • Cox, R. J. (1994). The first generation of electronic records archivists in the United States: A study in professionalization. New York: Haworth • Eastwood, T. (1996). Reforming the archival curriculum to meet contemporary needs. Archivaria 42, 80 -88 • Ericson, T. L. (1993). ‘Abolish the recent’: The progress of archival education. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 34, 25 -37 • Ericson, T. L. (1988). Professional associations and archival education: A different role, or a different theater? American Archivist 51, 298 -311 • Gilliland-Swetland, J. A. (1993). From education to application and back: Archival literature and an electronic records curriculum. American Archivist 56, 532 -544 • Gilliland-Swetland, J. A. (2000). Enduring paradigm, new opportunities: The value of the archival perspective in the digital environment. Council on Library and Information Resources • Hedstrom, M. (1993). Teaching archivists about electronic records and automated techniques: A needs assessment. American Archivist 56, 424 -433 • Lee, C. A. & Tibbo, H. (2011). Where’s the archivist in digital curation? Exploring the possibilities through a matrix of knowledge and skills. Archivaria 72, 123 -168 • O’Toole, J. M. (1997). The archival curriculum: Where are we now? Archival Issues 22 (2), 103 -116 • Pearce-Moses, R. and Susan D. (2008). New skills for a digital era. Society of American Archivists

Thank You Archival Jane Zhang @ Catholic University of America zhangj@cua. edu