Electronic Archiving Course

Lesson 1 • Types of Electronic Records

Categorises structured, unstructured, and semi-structured records. Helps learners identify what must be archived in their context.

Lesson 2 • Historical Evolution of Records Management

Traces the shift from paper-based to digital recordkeeping. Contextualises why modern archiving practices emerged.

Lesson 3 • Core Principles of Information Governance

Introduces accountability, transparency, and integrity as governing principles. Connects governance to daily archiving decisions.

Lesson 4 • Stakeholders and Roles in Archiving

Maps the people responsible for creating, managing, and accessing archives. Clarifies role boundaries to prevent gaps in responsibility.

Lesson 1 • Data Privacy and Protection Standards

Covers privacy principles that affect how personal data is archived and accessed. Ensures learners apply privacy-by-design to archiving workflows.

Lesson 2 • Retention Schedules and Legal Obligations

Explains how retention periods are determined by regulatory and operational needs. Connects schedule design to compliance risk reduction.

Lesson 3 • Industry-Specific Compliance Requirements

Surveys archiving obligations in healthcare, finance, and public sectors. Prepares learners to adapt policies to their specific industry context.

Lesson 4 • Developing an Archiving Policy

Guides learners through drafting a compliant, enforceable archiving policy. Synthesises regulatory knowledge into a practical governance document.

Lesson 1 • File Classification and Naming Conventions

Establishes consistent naming and classification rules for electronic files. Reduces retrieval errors and supports automated processing.

Lesson 2 • Metadata Interoperability and Standards

Introduces Dublin Core, PREMIS, and other widely adopted metadata standards. Enables learners to exchange records across systems without data loss.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to Metadata in Archiving

Defines descriptive, structural, and administrative metadata types. Shows how metadata enables retrieval, authenticity, and long-term preservation.

Lesson 4 • Designing a Metadata Schema

Walks through the process of selecting and defining metadata fields for an archive. Produces a reusable schema template aligned with organisational needs.

Lesson 1 • Selecting and Evaluating an EDMS

Provides a structured framework for assessing EDMS vendors and products. Equips learners to make evidence-based procurement decisions.

Lesson 2 • EDMS Integration with Business Systems

Explains how to connect an EDMS to ERP, CRM, and email platforms. Eliminates silos and ensures records are captured at the point of creation.

Lesson 3 • Configuring Document Capture and Ingestion

Covers scanning, OCR, and automated ingestion pipelines for incoming records. Ensures records enter the system accurately and completely.

Lesson 4 • Search, Retrieval, and Version Control

Teaches full-text search, faceted filtering, and version management within an EDMS. Maximises the usability and reliability of stored records.

Lesson 5 • Access Control and Permissions Management

Defines role-based access control models within an EDMS. Protects sensitive records while enabling legitimate retrieval.

Lesson 1 • File Format Conversion and Normalisation

Explains when and how to convert proprietary formats to preservation-friendly ones. Reduces future format obsolescence risk.

Lesson 2 • Ingest Quality Control and Validation

Establishes checkpoints to verify completeness, accuracy, and integrity after ingestion. Builds confidence that the archive reflects the original records faithfully.

Lesson 3 • Planning a Digitisation Project

Covers scoping, prioritisation, and resource planning for digitisation initiatives. Prevents common project failures through structured preparation.

Lesson 4 • Scanning Standards and Image Quality

Defines resolution, colour depth, and format requirements for archival scanning. Ensures digitised images meet long-term preservation standards.

Lesson 1 • Redundancy, Backup, and Disaster Recovery

Covers replication strategies, geographic redundancy, and recovery planning. Ensures archives survive hardware failure, disasters, and cyberattacks.

Lesson 2 • Core Digital Preservation Concepts

Introduces authenticity, integrity, reliability, and usability as preservation pillars. Frames all subsequent storage and format decisions.

Lesson 3 • Storage Media and Infrastructure Options

Compares on-premises, cloud, and hybrid storage options for archival use. Enables informed infrastructure decisions based on cost, risk, and access needs.

Lesson 4 • Fixity Checking and Integrity Monitoring

Explains how checksums and fixity checks detect silent data corruption. Establishes a routine monitoring programme for archive integrity.

Lesson 1 • Access Logging and Monitoring

Defines what access events to log and how to monitor them for anomalies. Supports both security incident detection and compliance auditing.

Lesson 2 • Business Continuity for Archive Systems

Plans for archive system outages and ensures continuity of access during disruptions. Integrates archiving into the broader organisational continuity framework.

Lesson 3 • Information Security Fundamentals for Archives

Applies confidentiality, integrity, and availability principles to archiving contexts. Establishes the security mindset required for all subsequent controls.

Lesson 4 • Risk Assessment for Archiving Operations

Applies a structured risk assessment process to identify and prioritise archiving threats. Produces a risk register that guides mitigation investments.

Lesson 1 • Building a Long-Term Governance Framework

Synthesises policy, roles, technology, and compliance into a sustainable governance structure. Prepares learners to lead and evolve an archiving programme strategically.

Lesson 2 • Records Appraisal Methodologies

Introduces functional, macro, and evidential appraisal approaches for determining record value. Enables consistent, defensible decisions about what to keep.

Lesson 3 • Legal Holds and Litigation Readiness

Explains how to suspend normal disposal when records become subject to legal proceedings. Protects the organisation from spoliation claims.

Lesson 4 • Measuring Archiving Programme Performance

Defines key performance indicators and maturity models for archiving programmes. Enables data-driven improvement and executive reporting.