The widesp ead adop ion o e-mail as he p e e ed means o p o essional communica ions has
d ama ically impac ed he way ha people wo k. This can be p oblema ic o many o ganisa ions
as he adi ional eco d-keeping in as uc u e is o en inadequa e o ensu ing ha messages in
indi idual e-mail accoun s a e p ope ly managed. Relying on backup apes o simply pu ging
messages om accoun s a e a speci ied pe iod o ime is no an app op ia e solu ion o cu a ing
e-mails. Ra he , o ganisa ional, cul u al and echnical solu ions mus be implemen ed o ensu e
messages a e adequa ely main ained and emain accessible as equi ed.
CURATING
E-MAILS Ap il 2006
www.dcc.ac.uk
Sho - e m bene i s & long- e m alue
E ec i e e-mail cu a ion equi es ac i e managemen o e he en i e li e-cycle o he messages. In he sho -
e m, success ul e-mail cu a ion:
• Encou ages mo e e icien use o e-mail as a business ool
• Enables sha ed access o o ganisa ional messages in an e icien way
• Facili a es compliance wi h legal eco d-keeping equi emen s
O e he longe - e m, e-mail cu a ion:
• Enhances long- e m s abili y and pe sis ence o e-mails
• Allows ongoing access o eliable messages and a achmen s
• Achie es o ganisa ional e en ion equi emen s in he mos cos -e ec i e manne
• P o ides a aluable esou ce o u u e da a use s
HE/FE pe spec i e
The business o HE / FE ins i u ions is inc easingly
ansac ed by e-mail. 'Consequen ly e-mail
co espondence is now being ou inely used o
ansac and eco d decisions ha we e
p e iously o e ed in pape o m only; e-mails a e
equen ly he only eco d o hese ansac ions.
In his con ex e-mail and hei a achmen s a e
eco ds o alue and need o be managed wi hin
he Uni e si y's eco ds managemen sys em like
any o he eco d.'
– Michael No is,Loughbo ough Uni e si y, JISC
Ins i u ional Reco ds and e-mails p ojec inal epo ,
No embe 2003.
eScience pe spec i e
eScience de elopmen s and disco e ies a e
inc easingly documen ed in e-mail communica ions.
Howe e , 'Wi h limi s o ha d-d i e space on mail
se e s,ins i u ional use s a e ou inely aced wi h he
equi emen o cleanse mailboxes. The pen may be
migh ie han he swo d, bu a single mouse-click can
des oy p oduc s o ines imable alue'.
- E ol C. F iedbe g,He be K Hagle ,
Ke in J. Land,(Depa men o Pa hology, Uni e si y o
Texas, Sou hwes e n Medical Cen e, Dallas), in Na u e
Vol 423, June 2003.
www.dcc.ac.uk
Roles and esponsibili ies
Bes p ac ice o e-mail cu a ion and p ese a ion has ye o achie e any eal consensus. Howe e ,
mos ag ee ha o ganisa ional and cul u al ac i i ies mus ake place alongside echnical
de elopmen s, as all h ee a eas impac he o e all success o any e-mail cu a ion app oach. As
cu a ion and p ese a ion ac i i ies will occu a a ious s ages o e he eco d li e-cycle, a wide
ange o people will ha e speci ic oles and esponsibili ies o he long- e m managemen o e-mails.
I is i al ha each indi idual unde s ands hei ole and how hey i in o he o e all cu a ion p ocess.
This will equi e ha :
• Suppo om senio managemen is secu ed om he ou se ; his is i al o he iabili y o any
cu a ion app oach
• A cu a ion policy is de eloped and ag eed o o mally iden i y he ange o indi idual oles
and esponsibili ies
• Message c ea o s a e made awa e o hei ole and ha adequa e aining is p o ided o enable
hem o c ea e sus ainable, au hen ic messages ha comply wi h legal and adminis a i e
equi emen s
• Da a cu a o s co-ope a e wi h all s akeholde s o ensu e compa ibili y o e he li e-cycle o
he e-mail eco d; de elop an app op ia e and achie able echnical and o ganisa ional
in as uc u e; and implemen ealis ic and eliable a chi ing and p ese a ion app oaches
Ongoing and e ec i e communica ions and co-o dina ion o e o s be ween s akeholde s is c ucial
o he success o any e-mail cu a ion ac i i y.
Digi al P ese a ion Tes bed F om digi al ola ili y o digi al pe manence: P ese ing email, The Hague,
Ap il 2003, ISBN 90-807758-1-9
DAVID - A chi ing e-mail, Boud ez, F & Eynde, So ie Van den (Augus 2002)
Ins i u ional Reco ds Managemen and E-mail Final Repo , Michael No is (No embe 2003)
XMaiL so wa e - eely a ailable so wa e om he Du ch Na ional A chi es o c ea e XML e sions o
e-mails a sou ce.
XENA so wa e - eely a ailable so wa e om he Na ional A chi es o Aus alia o c ea e XML e sions
o e-mails when inges ing in o a eposi o y.
Addi ional esou ces
