Archival Science 3: 117-129, 2003.

117
9 2004 KluwerAcademic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

E m e r g i n g T h e m e s in F i n n i s h Archival Science and Records

Management Education *

MAIJA-LEENA HUOTARI a and MARJO RITA VALTONEN b

aDepartment of Communication, University of Helsinki, Finland (E-mail:
maija-leena.huotari @helsinki.fi ); bDepartment of lnformation Studies, University of
Tampere, Finland (E-mail: Marjo. Valtonen @uta.fi)

Abstract. The paper focuses on the convergence of Finnish research and education in archival
science with information science in general and in records management with information
management in particular. Two issues influencing this development are: the convergence of
professionals previously worked in the archival and library sectors and in information manage-
ment and services; and the wide-spread, extensive growth in the use of digital technology to
manage internal and external organizational information. At the level of society the opportuni-
ties provided by digital technology to manage heritage information in memory organizations
like archives, libraries and museums, are tremendous and the role of documentary heritage at
the global, European and national levels is well recognized. These developments are changing
the information and operating environments of memory organizations and public and private
enterprises. These changes, in turn, are generating new requirements in archival science and
records management education and research. This paper focuses on the implications of these
changes for the planning, implementation and further development of an information studies
curriculum. This curriculum development is considered crucial in order to respond to the new
demands, and is also implicitly linked to the emerging Finnish information society.

Keywords: archival science, convergence of information professions, education, information

studies, records management, research

Introduction

This paper reviews the opportunities provided by digital technology to

manage information of memory organizations - archives, libraries and
museums. The concept of documentary heritage is defined, its significance
at the global, European and national levels is briefly discussed. This is
followed by a discussion of the dual requirements for the education and
the profession imposed by the changing information and operating environ-
* This article is based on Huotari, M.-L. and Valtonen, M.R., "Integrating Records and
Archives Management with Information Studies in Finland,, in L. Ashcroft (ed.), Continuity,
Culture, Competition - the Future of Library and Information Studies Education, Proceedings
of the 4th British-Nordic Conference on Library and Information Studies, 21-23 March 2001,
Dublin, Ireland, pp. 249-254 (Dublin: MCB UP Limited, 2002).
118 M A I J A - L E E NHUOTARI
A AND MARJO RITA VALTONEN

ments of the archives, libraries, museums, and public and private enterprises.
Next, this paper examines the new areas of research in archival science and
records management emerging in the field of information studies in Finland.
This covers a description of how archival science and records management
were integrated in the curriculum of information studies at the University
of Tampere, and extended to the field of document management and infor-
mation management (IM). Due to the convergence of the information sector
this extension was crucial to provide up-to-date education. This was essen-
tial to ensure increased competencies, qualifications, information skills and
literacy in archival science and records management for students with various
backgrounds and a wide selection of minor subjects (for example, history,
literature, business management, administrative science or computer science).
Thereafter, the Research Group on Information Management (REGIM) was
established and as a consequence new areas of research emerged. This
process of integration is implicitly linked to the development of the Finnish
information society.

Records as documentary heritage

Documentary heritage represents a large proportion of the world's cultural

heritage. The documentary heritage residing in archives and libraries
throughout the world constitutes a significant portion of the memory of
the world. In this context documentary heritage is understood as data and
information produced by individuals, organizations, enterprises or other
communities. T h e data and information exist in different forms (from text
to hypermedia documents), they are both historically and in terms of future
research interests relevant and should be preserved for future utilization.
According to the Memory of the World Programme 1 documentary heritage
can be a single document, a collection, a holding or an archival fonds. Docu-
ments may contain different forms of information and may be stored on
different media.
Our abilities to organize documentary heritage for more effective use
have been fundamentally increased by digital technology. The develop-
ment of new information and communications technology (ICT) provides us
with more tools to share this information. 2 Thus, similar to libraries which
1 Memory of the World, "Memory of the World Programme, UNESCO Web World
Memory of the World" (1996). Available http://www.unesco.org/webworld/mdm/administ/
en/MOW_finl.html (Last accessed 25 June 2002).
2 Feeney, M. (ed.), Digital Culture: Maximising the Nation's Investment. A Synthesis
of JISC/NPO Studies on the Preservation of Electronic Materials. The National Preser-
vation Office (London: The British Library, 1999). Smith, A., "Why Digitize? COuncil
 FINNISH ARCHIVAL SCIENCE AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION 119

have produced written catalogues of their collections for centuries and now
produce electronic catalogues, nowadays all memory organizations produce
documents and catalogues of their collections also in a digital format.
Records and archives as process-bound information have a strong contex-
tual and evidential character. They document activities and functions of
societies, organizations and individuals. In the organised society every organ-
isation and every individual has a recordkeeping system, varying in quality
from virtually non-existent to a high quality, nearly perfect record keeping
system. Record keeping is what an organisation or even society as a whole
must do: taking care of their records, keeping them to serve as memory
or evidence of past actions. 3 In the electronic environment the significance
of records management is emphasised. It is essential to be able to identify
already at the production stage the length of the retention period of a record.
This means that the life cycle of this information - from creation/production
until long term/permanent preservation - should be carefully planned and
designed in advance, and that at each stage of the cycle this documentary
information is preserved and accessible. According to the international ISO
standard4 organizations should define and document a policy for records
management. The objective of this policy should be the creation and manage-
ment of authentic, reliable and usable records, capable of supporting business
functions and activities for as long as they are required. The records manage-
ment policy should be linked to the requirements set for the archival func-
tion. 5 This guarantees that from the very beginning the lifecycle management
is well planned for material that should be preserved for over 10 years or
longer.

The changing role of the memory organizations

Archives and records management studies has to fulfill dual requirements

as a field of the information studies discipline. It must educate students in
on Library and InformationResources" (1999). Available http:/Iwww.clir.orglpubslabstractl
pub80.html (Last accessed25 June 2002), Townsend,S., Chappell,C. and Strnijv6, O., "Digi-
rising History. Arts and Humanities Data Service" (1999). Availablehttp://hds.essex.ac.uk/
g2gp/digitising_history/.
3 Horsman,Peter (1999), Appraisal and Disposal as a Functionof Records Management
Systems. DLM-Experts' Meetingin Tampere, Finland, November 11-12, 1999. Principles of
Appraisal and TheirApplicationin ElectronicEnvironment- EuropeanModelsand Concepts.
Proceedings. Arkistolaitos2000.
4 ISO 15489 (2001) InternationalStandardISO 15489 Informationand documentation-
Records management,Part 1: General, ISO 15489-1, Techinical Report Part 2: Guidelines,
ISO/TR 15489-2.
5 Archivesmanagementis not coveredin the Records MangementStandardISO 154889.
120 MAIJA-LEENA HUOTARI AND MARJO RITA VALTONEN

response to the needs of society in terms of preserving the documentary

heritage for future research and generations and in response to the admin-
istrative, legal and functional requirements set for public and private enter-
prises. Digital technology has become an agent of change in everyday
practice, especially with regard to user-centered services and improved
access. The former means that the users of archives will have a more central
role in the development of work processes. The latter implies that the mate-
rials will be accessed via information networks reducing the limitations of
time and space, making it easier to locate and use materials through more
effective information searching, retrieval and subject access.
To be able to accomplish this transformation there is a recognized demand
for interdisciplinary research as well as new competencies, qualifications and
skills including ICT and preservation techniques. 6 Requirements for expertise
include the traditional research areas of information science such as, for
example, information retrieval (IR) and the production of possibilities for
subject access, understanding of user behaviour and the role of user studies,
and understanding the role of information policy. This means that information
studies departments have a lot to offer for interdisciplinary research in records
management and archival studies and theory development. Thus, there is an
obvious need for collaboration to establish joint research programmes and
agendas for doctoral education.
As a consequence of professional convergence the general framework
of information management provides a wider context for education in
records management and archival science. A comprehensive perspective of
an organization's information-related activities is supported by a study eval-
uating strategic information systems of organizations in the pharmaceutical
and publishing sectors of Finnish industry.7 This holistic view emphasizes
the importance of the integration of information professions. For example,

6 Kesner, R.M., "InformationResource Management in the Electronic Workplace: A

Personal Perspective on Archives in the InformationSociety", The American Archivist 61
(Spring 1998): 70-87. Duranti, L., "The Future of Archival Scholarship" (1998). Available
http://www.ucd.ie/archives/lucart.html(Last accessed 27 May 2002).
7 Huotari, M.-L., Information Management and Competitive Advantage. The Case of a
FinnishPublishing Company.FinnishInformationStudies 7 (Tampere: Tampere University,
1997). Huotari, M.-L., Information Management and Competitive Advantage. Case II: A
FinnishPharmaceuticalCompany.FinnishInformationStudies 19 (Tampere:TampereUniver-
sity, 2001). Huotari, M.-L. and Wilson T.D., "The Value Chain, Critical Success Factors and
Company InformationNeeds in Two Finnish Companies", in P. Ingwersen and N.O. Pors
(eds.), Information Science: Integration in Perspective (Copenhagen: The Royal School of
Librarianship, 1996), pp. 311-323. Huotari, M.-L. and Wilson, T.D., "DeterminingOrgan-
izational InformationNeeds: The Critical Success Factors Approach", Information Research
6(3) (2001). Availableat http://informationr.net/ir/6-3/paperl08.html(Last accessed 27 May
2002).
 HNNISHARCHIVALSCIENCEAND RECORDSMANAGEMENTEDUCATION 121

archives and records m a n a g e m e n t at the University of Michigan are within

its Master of Science in Information M a n a g e m e n t 8 degree p r o g r a m m m e .
This holistic perspective is supported b y a study carried out by Couture, 9
who states that the tendency towards integration of archival studies with the
information sciences takes precedence on the other tendencies and that the
terms "archival" and "science" are progressively inserted in the n a m e of these
departments.
In the academic literature the user centered approach has dominated the
provision of library and information services for decades.l~ It is a well-known
fact that library users are generally satisfied with the services provided.
However, in t h e world o f archives the central role of the user is not yet self-
evident. 1I For example, T h o m a s s e n 12 argues that changes are necessary from
a supply-oriented access to a demand-oriented, and f r o m a collection driven
to a user driven m o d e l for providing access to archives and archival materials.

8 Ellis, D., Allen, D. and Wilson, T., "Information Science and Information Systems:
Conjunct Subjects Disjunct Disciplines", Journal of the American Society for Information
Science 50(12) (1999): 1095-1107.
9 Couture, C., "Education and Research in Archival Science: General Tendencies",
Archival Science 1 (2001): 157-182.
10 Wilson, T.D., "Information Needs and Uses: Fifty Years of Progress?" in B.C. Vickery
(ed.), Fifty Years of Information Progress: A Journal of Documentation Review (London:
Aslib, 1994), pp. 15-51. Wilson, T.D., "Models of Information Behaviour Research", Journal
of Documentation 55 (1999): 249-270.
11 See for user studies on archives: Beattie, D.L., "An Archival User Study: Researchers
in the Field of Women's History", Archivaria 29 (Winter 1989/90): 33-50. Gilliland-
Swetland, A.J., Kafai, Y.B. and Landis, W.E., "Integrating Primary Sources into Elementary
School Classroom: A Case Study of Teachers' Perspectives", Archivaria 48 (Fall 1999):
89-116. Collins, K. "Providing Subject Access to Images: A Study of User Queries"
American Archivist 61(1) (1998): 36-55. Duff, W.M. and Stoyanova, P., "Transformingthe
Crazy Quilt: Archival Displays from the Users' Point of View", Archivaria 45 (Spring
1998): 44-79. Duff, W.M. and Johnson, C.A., "Accidentally Found on Purpose: Infor-
mation Seeking Behaviour of Historians" Library Quarterly (October 2002): 472-496.
Duff, W.M., "Understanding the Information Seeking Behaviour of Archival Researchers
in a Digital Age: Paths, Processes and Preferences. DLM-FORUM 2002: Access and
Preservation of Electronic Information: Best Practices and Solutions" (2002). Available:
http://www.dlmforum2002.org/download/wendy_duff.PDF (Last accessed 2 January 2003).
Gilliland-Swetland, AJ., "An Exploration of K-12 User Needs for Digital Primary Source
Materials", American Archivist 61(1) (1998): 136-157. Sweeney, S., The Source Seeking
Cognitive Processes and Behaviour of the In-person Archival Researcher. Ph.D.-thesis
(University of Texas, 2002). Tibbo, H.R., "The Epic Struggle: Subject Retrieval from Large
Bibliographic Databases", American Archivist 57 (Spring 1994): 310-326.
12 Thomassen, T., The pluriformity of the communication of archives and the illusion of
accessibility. A Paper presented in the workshop Archival Science - New Trends in the
Paradigm. Mikkeli, Finland. May 17-18, 2002.
122 MAIJA-LEENA HUOTARI AND MARJO RITA VALTONEN

These changes concern also user-groups: there is a move from considering

only one user group towards considering multiple user segments.
In the age of digital documents it is essential to be informed about user
behaviour and uses of digital material to be able to provide tailored digital
services. To succeed with this, knowledge of information behaviour, seeking
and use is crucial. This is a main field of the discipline of information studies.
Knowledge of research and research methods in this area is urgently needed
in memory organizations. This view is supported, for example, by Hedstrom 13
who claims that the potential uses of digital materials are varied, unpredict-
able, and almost endless. She claims that libraries and archives are unable
to accomplish their preservation missions if they do not satisfy user require-
ments by preserving materials in formats that enable the types of analyses that
users wish to perform. Therefore, she calls for definition of explicit preser-
vation requirements from both the users' and custodians' perspectives. This
is essential for libraries and archives in order to integrate digital preservation
into overall planning and resource allocation. 14 Contradictory goals such as
high availability and accessibility on the one side, and low system costs on the
other, have to be reconciled for the archive's purpose, that is, the long-term
preservation and ensured accessibility of records. 15,16
Macpherson also is quite critical about the abilities of archives to meet
users' requirements and argues that "Despite of the technical feasibility, or
the apparent or perceived demand, it does not seem that archives are likely
to meet, in any substantial way, scholarly or research needs through online
access to digitally imaged records. Archives do not know enough about users'
needs to be sure that they are doing what is wanted. Archives know nothing of
any substance about how users approach archives on the Net or as to whether
the existing finding aids actually direct them to the right, best, sources for
their purposes." Furthermore, he argues that the provision of services and
archival material on the web is still limited by stating that "When images of
records are used as part of a service for researchers it is often only examples

13 Hedstrom, M., "UnderstandingElectronic Incunabula: A Framework for Research on

Electronic Records",American Archivists 54 (Summer 1991): 334-354.
14 Hedstrom, M., "Digital Preservation: A Time Bomb for Digital Libraries" (2000).
Available http://www.uky.edu/~kiernan/DL/hedstrom.html(Last accessed 25 June 2002).
15 Aschenbrenner, A., "Long-Term Preservation of Digital Material - Building
an Archive to Preserve Digital Cultural Heritage from Internet" (2001). Available
http//www.ifs.tuwien.ac.at/~a ... do/Challenges_Archivation.him(Last accessed 25 June
2002).
16 See also the CAMiLEON Project that is concerned with these issues. Available
http://www.si.umich.edu/CAMILEON/(Lastaccessed 2 January 2003).
 FINNISHARCHIVALSCIENCEAND RECORDSMANAGEMENTEDUCATION 123

of the sort of record a researcher could expect to find in a given series rather
than as a potential alternative means of accessing the record itself.''17
In addition to the need to understand user requirements regarding access
to digital materials, it is essential to identify the problems of use. This
includes problems of readability of documents, accessibility of the infor-
mation systems (IS) and possibilities to retrieve required documents. These
requirements impose a number of implications for the design of an appro-
priate information policy and IM programmes in organizations. It creates
requirements in terms of professional qualifications for those working with
information of this kind. In the electronic environment record creators and
record managers control access to electronic records. If electronic records
must be kept easily accessible for future researchers, then the appropriate
measures must be taken into account already at the design stage of the record-
keeping system. TM Menne-Haritz 19 claims that as a theoretical paradigm
access does not directly concern the service for the users. Yet it places
emphasis on the service quality of the repositories. Every archival function
can be conceived in a new way that makes it even better organized and access-
ible in daily practical work, if it is subordinated to the aim of making the
holdings available. Therefore, we can claim that here starts the reformulation
of archival paradigm, that changes, and also reinforces, the fundaments and
principles of archival professionalism.

The operating environment of enterprises

Organizational culture has an impact on the value placed on informa-

tion within organizations. This culture can either enhance or prevent the
effective use of information and similarly has an impact on the extent
to which the information professionals and their work are appreciated. 2~
17 Macpherson, P., "Providing Digital Online Access to Archives for Researchers" (1999),
NSCF Round Table No. 10 November, Archives in the National Research Infrastruc-
ture. Available http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/nscf/roundtables/rl0/rl0 ketelaar.html (Last
accessed 25 June 2002).
18 Thomassen, T., The pluriformity of the communication of archives and the illusion of
accessibility. A Paper presented in the workshop Archival Science - New Trends in the
Paradigm. Mikkeli, Finland. May 17-18, 2002.
19 Menne-Haritz, A., "Access. The Reformulation of an Archival Paradigm", Archival
Science 1(1) (2001): 57-82.
20 See: Owens, I. and Wilson, T. and Abell, A., Information and Business Performance. A
Study of lnformation Systems and Services in High Performing Companies (London: Bowker
Saur, 1996). Widrn-Wulff, G., Informationskulturen som drivkrafl I fOretagsorganisationen.
En kvalitativ studie i finliindska fOrsiikringsbolag (~bo: /~bo Akademi University Press,
2001). Loadman, J., "Does the Position of Records Management within the Organization
124 MAIJA-LEENA HUOTARI AND MARJO RITA VALTONEN

For example, an empirical study examining records management practices

in small and medium-sized enterprises in North-East England shows that
records managers are not highly appreciated in their parent organizations. 21
Similarly, results of a survey by the National Archives of Finland22 carried
out in the public sector indicate that the lack of respect for the profession and
top management's unawareness were the third on a list of the negative factors
related to the field of the archives and records management.
According to Hedstrom 23 the key factor for treating electronic records as
an essential element of society's documentary heritage and regarding them
as treasures that can preserve history and memory is the records managers'
and archivists' ability to influence how individuals and institutions use infor-
mation technology and value its products. A crucial issue in the management
of heritage information is to understand and identify in advance the data and
information that are relevant and will have value in the future. This is essential
in order to know for how long this information has to be preserved and for
what purposes this information might possibly be used in the future.
Documentary information is created in an everyday context and records
creating organizations have the role of a producer. In Finland the Archives
Act 24 of 1994 recommends that the National Archives Services (NAS) and
the public bodies collaborate. The NAS determines those records that are to
be preserved as the significant ones in terms of cultural history and research.
The organizations themselves, in turn, will define the length of the retention
period of records essential for business transactions and for legal security.
There are two major approaches to managing heritage information in prac-
tice. First, the digital information to be preserved can be produced in digital
form. This requires technical expertise on the production of digital materials.
The producer has to be familiar with electronic operating environments and
the design of operational information systems. Furthermore, this implies that
the information policy of an organization is defined, the related information
strategies are outlined and the document and records management systems

Influencethe Records ManagementProvision?"Records Management Journal 11(1) (2001):

45-62. Ginman, M., "InformationCulture and Business Performance",in J. Olaisen (ed.),
Information Management. A Scandinavian Approach (Oslo: ScandinavianUniversityPress,
1993), pp. 79-94.
21 Webster,B.M., Hare, C. and McLeod,J., "RecordsManagementPractices in Small and
Medium-sizedEnterprises: A Study in North-East England",Journal oflnformation Science
25(4) (1999): 283-294.
22 A survey carried out by National Archives Service in 2001. The survey focusedon the
state of records and archives managementin Finnishpublic authoritiesin 2000.
23 Hedstrom, M., "UnderstandingElectronic Incunabula: A Framework for Research on
Electronic Records",American Archivists 54 (Summer 1991): 334-354.
24 The ArchivesAct, Issuedin Helsinki on the 23rd of September 1994.
 FINNISHARCHIVALSCIENCEAND RECORDSMANAGEMENTEDUCATION 125

are appropriate for storing digital information and creating digital archives.
Second, existing information can be converted into the digital format.
The Finnish Archives Act also implies that all public bodies have an
archives formation planY the national application of records schedules or
recordkeeping guidelines. The intemational records management standard
(ISO 15489) also requires a records management programme. The records
management programme should be a part of the IM plan that, in turn, is a
prerequisite for the development of an information policy.
To be able to manage digital heritage information in public and private
enterprises the skills required focus on the following areas of IM: creation
and capture of information; metadata and archival description; appraisal,
preservation, and services for users. As IS should enable to produce and
process documents and records it is essential to know how to audit the existing
systems and how to invest in IS, or to have tailored IS, that fulfill the func-
tional and documentary requirements. This is essential to be able to plan and
implement information strategies as a part of an overall information policy. It
is necessary to build partnership relations between professionals responsible
for information technology, information management and business activities
in order to be able to fulfil the requirements of documentation, accountability
and long-term preservation in the electronic environment. 26, 27

Integrating archival science and records management in the

information studies curriculum

Education in archives studies has been provided by the National Archives

of Finland since 1930s. The diploma in recordkeeping is provided as
the basic training for archival professionals. The diploma in records and
archives management provides more scientific and research qualifications.
It is targeted at archivists responsible for the management of archives at the
national and regional levels, that is, in government agencies and provincial
archives. In the 1980s this program was no longer able to provide up-to-date
25 The plans covers guidelines on the registration, management, disposition and preserva-
tion of records.
26 E-TERM (European Training Programme in Electronic Records management) Final
Report, NL/99/1/074112/P1/1.1.1.b/FPC,E-TERM Annexes, NL/99/1/074112/P1/I.1.1.b/FPC,
Amsterdam: Archiefschool, December 2001, ETERM website on http://www.ucl.ac.uk/e-
term/(Last accessed 25 June 2002).
27 See for an examination of these issues in the context of academic libraries: Huotari,
M.-L. and Iivonen, M., "UniversityLibrary - a Strategic Partner in Information and Knowl-
edge Related Processes?" in E. Aversa, and C. Manley (eds.), Information in a Networked
World. Harnessing the Flow. Proceedings of the 64th ASIST Annual Meeting, vol. 38:
399--410 (Medford,NJ: Information Today, 2001).
126 MAIJA-LEENA HUOTARI AND MARJO RITA VALTONEN

content to respond to the challenges facing archivists in new electronic infor-

mation and operating environments. Therefore, the renewal and development
of the content of the archive studies education was started in Finland at the
beginning of the 1990s. Consequently, the need for basic and applied research
in this area emerged.

Planning and implementation of education in records and archives

management 28

Until the 1980s a degree in history was required of every archivist employed
by the NAS. The archivists were mainly historians, as archival studies was
closely connected to history. Therefore, the first potential partners contacted
by were departments of history. Thereafter, the Department of Information
Studies at the University of Tampere was contacted by the National Archives.
The idea of providing this education in a department of information studies
was supported by the convergence of the information professions. It was seen
as crucial to ensure a broad approach to the information sector as a whole.
The practical objectives for the implementation were defined to include issues
related to archival science and records management in all basic courses in
information studies and to provide additional, elective courses at the advanced
and post-graduate levels.
In 1994 the Ministry of Education provided funds to employ a planning
officer who, in collaboration with the National Archives of Finland and the
Department of Information Studies at the University of Tampere designed a
curriculum according to the new objectives. The new courses designed for the
advanced and master's levels were fairly closely in line with the education
provided by the National Archives. For example, the courses included an
introduction to archival theory and methods, planning of records management
and the use of archival materials.
An assistant professor responsible for archival science and records
management started in 1997. Detailed planning of the content of the courses
was necessary to begin the provision of training as planned. Lecturing was
started during the autumn term of 1997. The first courses focused on archival
theory and legal issues in records and archives management. Moreover, a
seminar on archival science and records management was provided. However,
it was not possible to fully achieve the objective of incorporating the basic
issues of records and archives management into relevant basic courses of
information studies during the first year.

28 See also in this issue: Jari Lybeck, Archival education in Scandinavia.

 FINNISH ARCHIVAL SCIENCE AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION 127

The curriculum was developed during 1999-2000 and reflected the exper-
ience gained by teaching and lecturing in this subject area, as well as the
students' assessment and feedback on the quality of the courses. The most
significant issue was that most courses in information studies at the basic
level should include and integrate the related issues of archival science and
records management. The first courses where this objective was met focused
on information sources and professional information retrieval training. IM
was further emphasized by providing joint courses titled Introduction to IM
at the basic level, and The Role of Records Management in IM at the master's
level. Moreover, the curriculum was extended in 1999 by the provision of
courses on electronic records and document management at the advanced
level.
In the further development of the curriculum for the academic years
2001-2003 of the Information Studies Department as a whole records and
archives management has been successfully integrated with the content of
the basic and other relevant courses. The emphasis on the further devel-
opment of the subject area of records and archives management is placed
on the courses on digital document management. The education for docu-
ment management aims at integrating the perspectives of business activities,
information technology and information management. It is a field which
expands fast and of which new knowledge is urgently needed. The content
of these courses is based on the premise that electronic records and document
management involves the management of records related to the work and
decision making processes of an organization by applying electronic infor-
mation systems. Therefore, document management requires deep knowledge
of an organization's work processes and the records produced when carrying
out these processes. Thus, it should be included in the development plan
of organizational activities and the holistic lifecycle planning of recorded
information.
An information system (called Livelink) has been acquired for demon-
strating these perspectives in practical training courses. The results of an
EU-project E-TERM/European Training Programme in Electronic Records
Management 29 are partly implemented in the content of the course. This
means that in the Department of Information Studies at the University of
Tampere the perspective of archival science and records management is
integrated with the information studies' curriculum and the emphasis of

29 E-TERM (European Training Programme in Electronic Records management) Final

Report, NL/99/1/074112/P1/I.1.1.b/FPC, E-TERM Annexes, NL/99/1/074112/P1/1.1.1.b/FPC,
Amsterdam: Archiefschool, December 2001.
128 MA]JA-LEENA
HUOTAR!ANDMARJORITAVALTONEN

education is placed on the records' continuum and life cycle, that is, on
document and records management. 3~

Further development of research based education

Recruitment of research students was started at the end of the 1990s, and
The Research Group on Information Management (REGIM) was established
in 2000. The emerging research areas of doctoral studies focus strongly
on document and records management. Examples of doctoral dissertation
topics include the development of recordkeeping systems as case studies,
such record keeping practices in preliminary investigation by the police force
and the design and implementation of metadata specifications within the
recordkeeping system of the defence forces. In addition, there are studies
examining records management as a strategic function of a knowledge-based
organization, and the meaning of case processing to services and operations in
digital and wireless communication. A Ph.D. study in archives management
examines professional development by using a case study of the Finnish
cinematographic archives. Other projects are more focused on the field of
strategic information management. There is a Ph.D. study whose purpose is
to describe the practices of knowledge creation in an expertise organization,
and a project aiming at identifying the main elements of a new theory of
strategic information management. 31 Furthermore, there is a plan to increase
interaction with the professionals working in this sector. The first interna-
tional workshop titled "Archival Science - N e w Trends in the Paradigm"
was organized in connection with the 6th Finnish Professional Conference
for Archivists in spring 2002.

Conclusion

The paper focused on the convergence of Finnish education and research

in archival science and records management with information science and
information management. This development is imposed by the utilization of
digital technology and the changing information and operating environments
of the memory organizations and public and private enterprises as producers
of information to be preserved. The emphasis was placed on the changes
taking place in the provision of archival services, that is, a change from a
supply orientation to a demand orientation and improved accessibility. The
30 Compare with the results of Couture 2001; see footnote 9.
31 Huotari, M.-L. and Chatman, E., "Using Everyday Life Information Seeking to Explain
Organizational Behaviorr', Library & Information Science Research 23(4) (2001): 351-366.
 FINNISH ARCHIVAL SCIENCE AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION 129

integration process of the education in archival science and records manage-

ment with the information studies curriculum at the University of Tampere,
Finland was described. Based on the initiative of the National Archives plan-
ning of this process was started in the beginning of the1990s as a response
to the needs of modem information society. Since 1997 these plans have
been implemented and by the beginning of this millennium all the basic
and other relevant courses in information studies had related archival science
and records management issues incorporated into their content. Moreover,
the number of courses provided at the advanced and post-graduate levels has
increased with an emphasis on document management. Emerging themes in
Finnish research on archival science and records management focus strongly
on records management and the design of records management systems. This
convergence of education in the information sector is considered to be crucial
for the development of Finnish information society.

Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Wendy Duff and the anonymous referees for their
comments on the earlier version of this paper.