Module 5: Text 1

e-TERM reference*

TPC2

Version no.*

1

Version date*

2001-09-20

Contributor*

Cain, Piers

Author/s*

Bearman, David

Title*

The Implications of Armstrong v. Executive of the President for the Archival Management of Electronic Records

Print availability

American Archivist 56 (1993), 674-689

Electronic availability

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Copyright

© The Society of American Archivists, 1993

Introduction

This article reviews the arguments presented by both sides in the lawsuit Armstrong v. The Executive Office of the President in the United States, which concerned the electronic mail created by the Reagan and elder Bush White House on the IBM PROFS system. It discusses the Functional Requirement for Recordkeeping Systems to demonstrate how they have practical relevance to records policy issues.

Bearman argues that the US courts confirmed mainstream archival theory; that it is necessary to preserve the structural and contextual data as well as the content of an electronic message to preserve its 'recordness'. The Armstrong case was important for the archival profession in America, but it had wider resonance because it showed that electronic records management has public policy implications as well as technical ramifications.

David Bearman is the President of Archives and Museum Informatics, an independent consultancy firm that advises cultural institutions in the electronic world. He previously worked as an archivist with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.

Relevance

This article could be used as a case study, but in this exercise the student should concentrate on the policy aspects.

Concepts*

Record
Record System
Recordkeeping System
Evidence
Functional Requirements

Cases

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Module no.*

5

Role

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Contribution to learning objectives*

Study of this text will contribute to the following learning objectives:

Preliminary reading

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Reading help

Concentrate on pp 678-689. Although this article contains material of interest mainly to archivist operating in the American context, there is much of relevance to any practicing archivist or records manager.

Discussion

In this article Bearman argues that the National Archivist made some serious policy errors because he did not, at that time, have the intellectual framework needed to think about a new use of technology in the office - electronic mail. Bearman shows that much turned on two issues: 1) Was the White House email system being used for substantive business transactions? 2) Was the Archivist of the United States taking appropriate action?

What are the policy issues identified by Bearman?

Which of these are relevant to a national archives and which are relevant to any archivist or records manager?

Why is Bearman's concept of a recordkeeping system important when thinking about records policy?

What are the policy recommendations made by Bearman?

Which continue to be relevant today?

Assignment*

Bearman's article was written when email was still relatively new and there was considerable confusion over whether email should be considered a record. Have these issues been solved? Consider, for example email attachments. What are the emerging technology applications of today that might create similar confusion and why?

Further reading

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