Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) 2007 A.M.I.E.T.E Computer Science

Dispositioning of records. Disposition of records does not always mean destruction. Disposition can also include transfer of records to a historical archive, to a museum, or even to a private party. When physical records are destroyed, the records must be authorized for destruction by law, statute, regulation, and operating procedure. Once approved, the record must be disposed of with care to avoid inadvertent disclosure of info to unauthorized parties. The process to dispose of records needs to be well-documented, starting with a records retention schedule and policies and procedures that have been approved at the highest level of an organization. An inventory of the kinds of records that have been disposed of must be maintained, including certification that the records have been destroyed. Records should never simply be discarded as any other refuse. Most organizations use a few form of records destruction including pulverization, paper shredding or incineration.
Managing Electronic Records
The general principles of records management apply to records in any format. Digital records (almost always referred to as electronic records) raise specific problems however. It is more difficult to ensure that the content, situation and structure of records is preserved and protected when the records do not have a physical existence. Guidance on the management of electronic records can be obtained on the websites of National and State Archives authorities listed beneath.
Unlike physical records electronic records cannot be managed without a computer or other machine. Functional requirements for computer systems that can be used to manage electronic records have been produced by the US Department of Defense[1], the National Archives of England & Wales[2] and the European Commission.[3] It is noteworthy that the Moreq specification has been translated into at lowest twelve languages[4] and is used beyond the borders of Europe. Development of MoReq was initiated by the DLM Forum[5], funded by the European Commission.[6]
Particular concerns exist about the ability to retain and still be able to access and learn electronic records over time. Electronic records require improper combinations of software versions and operating systems to be accessed, and so are at risk because of the rate at which technological modifications occur. A considerable amount of research is being undertaken to address this issue, under the heading of digital preservation. The Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) located in Melbourne, Australia published the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (VERS) which includes a standard for the preservation, long-term storage and access to permanent electronic records. The VERS standard has been adopted by all Victorian Government departments. A digital archive has been established by PROV to enable the general public to access permanent records.

Earning:   Approval pending.