The education of records and information management professionals: A pathway to professional identity

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Force, Donald C.

Affiliations: School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, NWQB 2550, 2025 E. Newport Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA | Tel.: +1 414 229 2792; Fax: +1 414 229 6699; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Records and information management (RIM) professionals ensure that information flows seamlessly through organizations, thereby increasing worker productivity and facilitating the growth of the business. Yet, these professionals are often overlooked or confused with IT, archivists, secretaries, or mailroom workers. This article contends that the lack of awareness about this profession stems from the absence of a formalized educational pathway for people to become RIM professionals. Drawing on data from a comprehensive online survey, this article argues that RIM education is best suited as an independent discipline within library and information science programs.

Keywords: Records and information management, education, professionalization

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-180154

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 247-267, 2017