ARCV41470 Record Keeping: Principles & Practice

Academic Year 2021/2022

This module supports students in making the transition from student to new professional and aims to raise students’ awareness of the role of professionalism as an element in their training and their future careers, framed through the lens of the relationship between theory and practice. It explores the hallmarks of the work of a professional recordkeeper including awareness of ethical codes, commitment to continuing professional development, the ability to strategically manage a service, the development of leadership skills, the ability to write policies and fundraise, and to advocate for a higher profile for their service and for the profession more widely. The module also provides students with an introduction to digitisation, an increasingly central activity in enhancing access to collections, fulfilling outreach strategies and facilitating preservation. In-class discussions and activities are supplemented by guest lectures by practitioners working in a range of recordkeeping contexts and, where feasible, visits to repositories. The module links the requirements of the MA programme with the world of the records professional by providing students with the opportunity to develop their Semester 1 learning by undertaking a short placement in an archives service in Ireland or abroad and to develop their practical experience of using archival software.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module the student should be able to:

• Appreciate the difficulties of managing, leading and resourcing archives and records management services
• Describe the ethical dimensions of archives and records management work
• Experience, and reflect upon, using a range of software options for collection management activities
• Understand the role of digitisation and the practical considerations involved
• Recognise the importance of project management as a key skill for recordkeepers
• Critically reflect on the application of theory to a range of practical areas.

Indicative Module Content:

Weekly learning in this module takes the form of 2 hour classes combined with the opportunity to hear from practitioners working in a wide range of institutions. While the timing of these speakers may vary slightly from year to year, repositories typically involved with the module include the National Archives of Ireland, The Guinness Archive, The Military Archives and the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. The weekly structure is broadly as follows: Week 1 Introduction to the module; the relationship between theory and practice; Week 2 The Archivist as Manager - forward planning; Week 3, The Archivist as Manager - managing resources; Week 4 Introduction to Practical Descriptive Project; Week 5 Guest speaker; Week 6 Guest speaker; Week 7 Meetings and formative feedback on Descriptive Projects; Week 10 The Ethical Recordkeeper; Week 11, Guest Lecturer on Project Management for Recordkeepers; Week 12, Guest speaker; Week 14, Careers Support Session.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Small Group

16
Field Trip/External Visits

8
Specified Learning Activities

90
Autonomous Student Learning

90
Placement/Work Experience

40
Total

244
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small group module with learning taking place in a number of ways:
-2 hour seminars supported by lecture slides, the use of example management documents, in-class group activities and individual student participation in class discussions.
-participation in a group or individual practical descriptive project
-practitioner guest speakers from archive and record services and individual work placements to support the application of theory in practice, and to understand the key challenges faced by records professionals.
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Project: Practical assignment completed individually or as part of a group Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

40
Assignment: Assignment linked to elements of professionalism Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

30
Assignment: Digitisation Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

30

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Written feedback on all assignments will be provided via Brightspace. For practical work, where appropriate, formative feedback will be given to students either in written form or orally, prior to final submission. Individual oral feedback on all assignments will be provided at one-to-one Zoom meetings if requested by students.