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Recordkeeping In Brief 18 - Introducing recordkeeping metadata

Recordkeeping metadata is data that facilitates the use and management of records. Particularly in electronic applications, metadata can be a key means of improving a system and helping it to meet recordkeeping requirements.

What is recordkeeping metadata?

Recordkeeping metadata is a tool that enables you to describe records, people and business activities in a suitable amount of detail to ensure:

  • better information accessibility
  • improved records management, and
  • greater accountability in business operations. 

How is recordkeeping metadata useful?

A number of everyday activities within your organisation involve the capture of metadata about your records or rely on metadata being available. Examples include:

  • identifying personal information that must be protected under Privacy legislation
  • accessing documents sought under the Government Information (Public Access) Act
  • transferring records to another organisation as a result of administrative change or privatisation
  • tracking ministerial correspondence
  • identifying vital records as part of disaster planning
  • transferring archives to State Records, or
  • documenting the destruction of records.

Mandatory recordkeeping metadata

The minimum requirements for recordkeeping metadata for NSW public offices are contained in the Standard on digital recordkeeping (2008).

Tools for implementing recordkeeping metadata

To supplement the minimum requirements from the Standard on digital recordkeeping, there is a technical specification for recordkeeping metadata standard for the NSW public sector. Go to: NSW Recordkeeping Metadata Standard - Technical Specification (MS Word, 2.76MB).

A new Australian/New Zealand standard for metadata is currently being drafted and when this is released, State Records will issue version 2 of the Technical Specification, including NSW-specific encoding schemes. One draft encoding scheme, for 'Document Form' (record type) is available now for comment.

Implementing recordkeeping metadata

Strategies for Documenting Government Business: The DIRKS Manual contains a wide range of guidance about achieving better recordkeeping in the NSW public sector. For an overview in this document of how to implement recordkeeping metadata and a discussion of the objectives it can help you to achieve, see Doing DIRKS to specify and apply recordkeeping metadata.

© State of New South Wales through the State Records Authority, 2001.
First published July 2001 / Revised edition January 2002 / Revised November 2003 / September 2008
This work may be freely reproduced and distributed for most purposes, however some restrictions apply.
ISSN 1440-3978