NOTE: To access the unit webpage, go to http://muso.monash.edu.au and enter your authcat to access the site. All study materials and assignments, a discussion list, online submission of assignments, feedback on assignments and online chat rooms are available via the site.
Welcome to FIT3121 Archival Systems, a unit relating to the fundamental role of recordkeeping professionals in society - to provide access to recorded information in the form of essential evidence of social and organisational activity for business, commercial, governmental, social, and cultural purposes.
This is an elective unit in the Information Management Major in the Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems. It may be taken as an elective in other programs where you have satisfied the prerequisites and course rules permit.
The unit covers the role of recordkeeping in society and organisations, relevant theories and models, functional requirements for evidence of business and social activity, the socio-legal contexts of recordkeeping, the formulation of recordkeeping policy and strategies, the establishment of recordkeeping frameworks, functional analysis, appraisal and disposal, the development of metadata schemas and their implementation in recordkeeping systems.
The unit provides students with the skills and knowledge to undertake appraisal and description/metadata tasks within contemporary and historical recordkeeping systems and structures, including electronic recordkeeping systems. The unit looks at the justifications for recordkeeping, functional requirements for evidence, implementation environments, appraisal including functional analysis, policy formulation including the development of strategies and tactics, and the use of descriptive metadata in a range of recordkeeping activities related to the storage, recall and dissemination of records. The records continuum model and theory provide a conceptual base for the unit.
Engaging with the Profession
If you are hoping to become (or are already) a records and archives professional, and are not already an active member of the records and archives professional community, begin to engage with the profession today! Here are some ways you can do this:
Join the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) and/or the Records Management Association of Australia (RMAA) (or your own national equivalents if you are an international student), check out what is happening in your local branch, and get involved. Both of the Australian associations have student memberships, and subscriptions to their journals are included in the membership fee. To find out how to join, visit the following web sites:
ASA: http://www.archivists.org.au/
RMAA: http://www.rmaa.com.au/
Browse the Archives of Australia web site: http://www.archivenet.gov.au. This web site provides a gateway into many fascinating archival and recordkeeping sites around Australia and the world.
Check out some of the main journals in the field - see listing in section on Recommended Texts and Readings.
Subscribe to Aus-archivists, the Listserv of the Australian Society of Archivists at
http://lists.archivists.org.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aus-archivists
This unit will provide you with the knowledge and skills to:
At the completion of the unit you will be able to:
Workload commitments are:
IMS2102 or IMS2603 or FIT2054 and 12 credit points of FIT 2nd year units or equivalent.
Monash is committed to ‘Excellence in education’ (Monash Directions 2025 - http://www.monash.edu.au/about/monash-directions/directions.html) and strives for the highest possible quality in teaching and learning.
To monitor how successful we are in providing quality teaching and learning Monash regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Unit Evaluation Surveys. The University’s Unit Evaluation policy (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/quality/unit-evaluation-policy.html) requires that every unit offered is evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys as they are an important avenue for students to “have their say”. The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.
Faculties have the option of administering the Unit Evaluation survey online through the my.monash portal or in class. Lecturers will inform students of the method being used for this unit towards the end of the semester.
Contact hours : Appointments arranged by email
Contact hours : Appointments arranged my email
Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.
It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.
| Week | Topic | Key dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to FIT3121 Archival Systems | 3 March |
| 2 | Archival Systems, Evidence and Metadata: Key Concepts | 10 March |
| 3 | Recordkeeping Contexts: Social, Cultural, Legal, Organisational Part 1 | 17 March |
| 4 | Recordkeeping Contexts: Social, Cultural, Legal, Organisational Part 2 | 24 March |
| 5 | Professional Frameworks Part 1: The Records Continuum Model | 31 March |
| 6 | Professional Frameworks Part 2: Archives in Australia | 7 April |
| Mid semester break | ||
| 7 | Appraisal Frameworks and Theory | 21 April |
| 8 | Appraisal Policies, Strategies, Tools | 28 April |
| 9 | Metadata Frameworks, Standards and Schema | 5 May |
| 10 | Metadata in Recordkeeping and Archival Systems Part 1 | 12 May |
| 11 | Metadata in Recordkeeping and Archival Systems Part 2 | 19 May |
| 12 | Archival Systems Research Part 1 | 26 May |
| 13 | Archival Systems Research Part 2 | 2 June |
Sue McKemmish, Michael Piggott, Barbara Reed and Frank Upward, Archives: Recordkeeping in Society (Wagga Wagga: CIS, 2005).
Available from CITSU Bookshop, Monash University. You can also order via post (28 Sir John Monash Drive, Caulfield East, Vic 3145), telephone (9571 3277), fax (9563 5948) or email (orders@citsu.bookshop.com.au). Mail order is also available direct from the publisher – go to www.csu.edu.au/cis.
Considerable use will be made of the Australian and International Standards, AS ISO 15489 and AS ISO 23081, available through the Monash Library’s Standards On-line Premium Database.
Recommended texts:
Jay Kennedy and Cheryl Schauder, Records Management, A guide to Corporate Recordkeeping, 2nd edition (Melbourne: Longman's, 1998
Purchase of this book is strongly recommended. It is available from the CITSU Bookshop, Monash University. You can order via post (28 Sir John Monash Drive, Caulfield East, Vic 3145), telephone (9571 3277), fax (9563 5948) or email (orders@citsu.bookshop.com.au).
Other references:
Electronically delivered course notes, resource material and internet references will be provided during the course, available from the unit website.
Books and electronic material available through the Caulfield campus library will be made available from a unit reading list
Articles from the following journals are frequently cited:
Keeping up to date with the professional literature is an essential component of working in any field. It is recommended that you check on the availability of the key journals listed above via the Monash Library or at a library in your area. It is also recommended that you consider subscribing to Archives and Manuscripts It will be assumed throughout IMS 5010 that you have access at least to Archives and Manuscripts.
Study resources we will provide for your study are:
All study materials and resources are provided via the Unit Website or Monash Library. They include:
To access Unit Website, go to http://muso.monash.edu.au and enter your authcat.
The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching. To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.
The Educational Library and Media Resources (LMR) is also a very resourceful place to visit at http://www.education.monash.edu.au/library/
All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle. If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle (http://moodle.monash.edu.au) and can bookmark this link to access directly. In Moodle, from the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.
You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal: http://my.monash.edu.au
Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.
In order for your Blackboard unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.
For example:
For more information, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html
You can contact the MUSO Support by phone : (+61 3) 9903 1268
For further contact information including operational hours, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html
Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html
The unit is assessed with two assignments and a three hour closed book examination. To pass the unit you must:
Title : Assignment 1 Email Discussion Tasks 1-5
Description :
Weighting : 25%
Criteria for assessment :
Due date : See assignment specification
Title : Assignment 1 Appraisal or Assignment 2: Metadata Exercise
Description :
Weighting : 30%
Criteria for assessment :
Due date : See assignment specification.
Weighting : 45%
Length : 2 hours
Type ( open/closed book ) : Closed book
Assignments should be submitted electronically via the MUSO unit website - go to http://muso.monash.edu.au and enter your authcat to access the site. The due date is the date by which the submission must be posted to the site.
Assessment Notes
Signed copies of the Assignment Cover Sheet should be given to the Lecturer or Teaching Assistant in class, submitted at the Caulfield School of IT front desk (Level 6, Building H), or faxed to the Lecturer or Teaching Assistant on 61 3 9903 1077.
The pro-forma for the Assignment Cover Sheet is available on the MUSO unit web site.
The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.
Late submissions may be penalised. If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness you should apply for an extension before the due date. Completion of special consideration forms, medical certificates or certification supporting your application may be required (see the following URL for more detail: http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/academicpolicies/policy/specialconsideration.html)
Note:
Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.
Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/
Assignment results will be made available to you together with feedback via the MUSO unit web site.Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with the University Plagiarism policy and procedure (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/plagiarism-procedures.html) which applies to students detected plagiarising.
In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work.
When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer.
Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.
Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.
Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.
The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.
The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.
Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:
Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.