The mapping, selecting and opening of data The records management contribution to the Open Data project in Girona City CouncilLluís Esteve Casellas Serra
2014 Records Management Journal
doi: 10.1108/RMJ-01-2014-0008
Purpose – This paper aims to share the contribution of records managers to the Open Government in the City Council of Girona (Catalonia), based on the strategy of participation in the Open Data project. Design/methodology/approach – The contribution of the Records Management Department is to facilitate locating data sets and to be responsible for the data selection processes. Records Management allows a first global identification of the functions, activities and producers, using the Records Classification Scheme and the General Register of Case Files. In addition, it can obtain a greater detail of information using the Application Catalogue and the Register of Personal Data Files. Findings – Records Management can contribute to data selection in the Open Data projects by the appraisal of data, also taking into consideration functions and records of the organization. At the same time, Open Data projects could reinforce the strategies of records preservation in databases, because the same extraction processes could be shared. In addition, Open Data projects could mean an opportunity for Historical Archives if they take charge of the maintenance of the Open Data Archive. This could be relevant in the future for the transformation of data from information systems into documentary heritage. Research limitations/implications – The opening of the city’s Open Government portal is scheduled for the beginning of 2014. Thus, it is necessary to consider this work as a work in progress. Originality/value – This work is a specific case study of the contribution of Records Management to the Open Data projects; its proposals and reflections have been made from a very practical point of view.
Whither the retention schedule in the era of big data and open data?John McDonald
2014 Records Management Journal
doi: 10.1108/RMJ-01-2014-0010
Purpose – This article, which is one of the products of an international collaborative research initiative called iTrust, aims to explore these questions and offer suggestions concerning how the issues they raise can be addressed. Design/methodology/approach – The article describes the results of the first stage in a multi‐stage research project leading to methods for developing retention and disposition specifications and formal schedules for open data and big data initiatives. A fictitious organization is used to describe the characteristics of open data and big data initiatives, the gap between current approaches to setting retention and disposition specifications and schedules and what is required and how that gap can be closed. The landscape described as a result of this stage in the research will be tested in case studies established in the second stage of the project. Findings – The argument is made that the business processes supporting open data and big data initiatives could serve as the basis for developing enhanced standards and procedures that are relevant to the characteristics of these two kinds of initiatives. The point is also made, however, that addressing the retention and disposition issues requires knowledge and leadership, both of which are in short supply in many organizations. The characteristics, the issues and the approaches will be tested through case studies and consultations with those involved with managing and administering big data and open data initiatives. Originality/value – There is very little, if any, current literature that addresses the impact of big data and open data on the development and application of retention schedules. The outcome of the research will benefit those who are seeking to establish processes leading to formally approved retention and disposition specifications, as well as an instrument – the approved retention and disposal schedule – designed to ensure the ongoing integrity of the records and data associated with big data and open data initiatives.
Meeting Big Data challenges with visual analytics The role of records managementVictoria Louise Lemieux
2014 Records Management Journal
doi: 10.1108/RMJ-01-2014-0009
Purpose – This paper aims to explore the role of records management in supporting the effective use of information visualisation and visual analytics (VA) to meet the challenges associated with the analysis of Big Data. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory research entailed conducting and analysing interviews with a convenience sample of visual analysts and VA tool developers, affiliated with a major VA institute, to gain a deeper understanding of data‐related issues that constrain or prevent effective visual analysis of large data sets or the use of VA tools, and analysing key emergent themes related to data challenges to map them to records management controls that may be used to address them. Findings – The authors identify key data‐related issues that constrain or prevent effective visual analysis of large data sets or the use of VA tools, and identify records management controls that may be used to address these data‐related issues. Originality/value – This paper discusses a relatively new field, VA, which has emerged in response to meeting the challenge of analysing big, open data. It contributes a small exploratory research study aimed at helping records professionals understand the data challenges faced by visual analysts and, by extension, data scientists for the analysis of large and heterogeneous data sets. It further aims to help records professionals identify how records management controls may be used to address data issues in the context of VA.
Opening research data: issues and opportunitiesSue Childs
2014 Records Management Journal
doi: 10.1108/RMJ-01-2014-0005
Purpose – This paper aims to explore the issues, the role of research data management (RDM) as a mechanism for implementing open research data and the role and opportunities for records managers. The open data agenda is premised on making as much data as possible open and available. However, in the context of open research data there are methodological, ethical and practical issues with this premise. Design/methodology/approach – Two collaborative research projects focusing on qualitative health data were conducted. “DATUM for Health” designed and delivered a tailored RDM skills training programme for postgraduate research students in health studies. “DATUM in Action” was an action research project between researchers from information sciences, health, mathematics and computing, looking at planning and implementing RDM. Findings – Three key issues emerged about what research data is appropriate to make open/accessible for sharing and reuse: re‐using qualitative data conflicts with some of the epistemological and methodological principles of qualitative research; there are ethical concerns about making data obtained from human participants open, which are not completely addressed by consent and anonymisation; many research projects are small scale and the costs of preparing and curating data for open access can outweigh its value. In exploring these issues, the authors advocate the need for effective appraisal skills and researcher‐focused RDM with records managers playing a useful role. Research limitations/implications – The findings come from two small‐scale qualitative projects in health studies. Further exploration of these issues is required. Practical implications – Records managers have new crucial opportunities in the open data and RDM contexts, bringing their expertise and experience in managing a wider range of data and information. They can help realise the benefits of multiple perspectives (researcher, data manager, records manager and archivist) on open research data. Social implications – Researcher‐focused RDM offers a mechanism for implementing open research data. Originality/value – It raises complex issues around open research data not found in the records management literature, highlights the need for researcher‐focussed RDM and research data appraisal skills and a not yet fully recognised role for records managers.
Open data? Data, information, document or record?Erik Borglund
2014 Records Management Journal
doi: 10.1108/RMJ-01-2014-0012
Purpose – The aim of the article is to investigate what characterizes the information constructs that the archival discourse and the open data discourse communicate in text, and what their similarities and differences are. This article proposes that it is possible to see the open data initiative and modern archival practice as two discourses that have used different terminology to express and communicate their messages in the literature. In this article, we have applied a hypothesis‐like assumption that the information constructs used in open data are actually nothing other than records, as they are in the archival discourse. Design/methodology/approach – This article is based on a mixed method approach. A quantitative text analysis (word count) was carried out in a large set of documents representing the open data discourse and in the archival discourse. This was followed by a qualitative text analysis. Findings – It was found that both discourses did focus on records. However, the opendata discourse very seldom used the term record, but used information and data much more frequently. The archival discourse used the term information almost as often as record. A possible adaption of communication strategies can be identified, targeting a much wider audience through a user‐centered approach. This could be an indication of a change in the archival discourse, which seems to be moving from a discourse that is very much regulated by law toward a discourse that is more focused on benefit and usability. Originality/value – This research indicates that it is possible to interpret both the open data and the archival discourse as one united discourse, an effect derived from working with e‐government. There is an ongoing harmonization of the words used, and in the studied archival discourse, a more user‐ and business‐oriented focus can be seen.