Records Management
Records can be defined as ‘Information created, received and maintained as evidence and information by an organisation or person in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business’ (ISO 15489)
Records are an essential resource and contain information which is unique and invaluable. They can be used as an audit trail as they provide evidence/proof of a specific activity.
Records come in electronic (including video and audio materials) and paper format. It is important that both types must be managed equally well, especially in terms of storage, accessibility and disposal.
Records - Records are evidence of our actions and decisions
Responsibility - All staff have responsibility for Records
Risk - There are significant risks from loss, damage or unauthorised access
Retention - Keep records only as long as they are needed
Rights - The public has a right to access our records
Reliability - Managing records ensures we create high quality reliable records.
The University of Nottingham Record Retention Schedule sets out how long we should keep our records types.
This schedule takes into account legal and regulatory requirements as well as our own business needs for keeping records for specified periods of times.
The University manages its own Records Storage Facility for the retention of all University semi-active records.
In addition the Manuscripts and Specials Collections Department keep all records identified for permanent preservation.