Hi Tina,
Please find some info that might be useful in the context of email. It is important to maintain the reliability, authenticity and integrity of e-mail records, especially with an eye to legal admissibility. In ensuring this, identification of the creator, receiver, date, and transmission of the message must be maintained; the e-mail cannot be altered and, if it is forwarded, the original message cannot be changed; an audit trail is recorded; and if electronic signatures are used, they are provided via approved methods, can be verified and are retained as part of the message. In effect, electronic messages and their attachments must remain intact in terms of their structure (layout or format and links to attachments and related documents), content (the information contained in the message) and context (information pertaining to the sender and recipients well as any header information and transmittal data such as time and date). It is also important to take into account confidentiality, availability, non-repudiation and any rights-management issues.
I guess the issue is whether the RTF file within the chosen EDMS will provide this?
For British Standard guidance, please see 'Electronic Documents and e-Commerce Transactions as Legally Admissible Evidence': the BSI code of practice, PD 5000:1999, enables organisations to demonstrate the authenticity of their electronic documents and e-commerce transactions, so they can be used as legally admissible evidence. This set of 5 International Codes of Practice cover the whole scope of the e-business revolution. They provide essential guidance on how e-commerce systems should be managed to provide the required security and integrity of business information. http://www.bsi-global.com/Portfolio+of+Products+and+Services/Books+Guides/Doc+Management/pd5000.xalter
ISO17799 should also be taken into account regarding security issues.
HTML is another "popular" format for creating/saving email messages; there are also initiatives to look at conversion to XML. Please see http://www.digitaleduurzaamheid.nl/bibliotheek/docs/volatility-permanence-email-en.pdf (Rich Text is referred to on Page 24)
See also the Flemish DAVID report, which includes a good comparison of email with other record types in terms of characteristics. http://www.antwerpen.be/david/teksten/Report4.pdf
With Regards,
Reynold Leming
www.mintsolutions.co.uk (details at bottom of message)
> My name is Tina Staples and I'm Deputy Archivist at HSBC Holdings plc. Our
unit is primarily responsible for the Group's historical records, but the
introduction of a new EDMS means we are currently facing all sorts of
pressing records management issues. I'm doing my best to read round the
subject but the sheer volume of information is quite overwhelming! Before I
go into meetings with the IT specialists, I'd be very grateful for any
advice you may have regarding an initial question I'm facing.
Our EDMS system is currently converting e-mails into rich text format. Is
this the standard approach to e-mails within most EDMSs and should I be
aware of any specific preservation issues involving rich text format? I
have noted that it doesn't seem to be recommended as a preservation format
in the PRO's guidelines. Can anyone offer advice or suggest recommended
reading?
Also, if there are any other UK bank archivists/records managers facing
EDMS problems, I'd welcome the chance to set up a discussion group if you
would like to get in touch.
Many thanks,
Tina
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Reynold Leming
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