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Records Management Glossary

The glossary explains the meaning of terms and acronyms that are used in the Alfresco Records Management documentation.
Accession
Accession is when responsibility for a record is relinquished by moving it into another system or institution. The institution is usually a government archive, such as NARA.

The key difference between an accession and a transfer is that when records are accessioned they are no longer the responsibility of your Records Management system. When transferred (to another physical location) you are still responsible for the record. Accession reports can be used to record when a record was accessioned, where it went, and why.

Capabilities
Capabilities are assigned to user roles in the RM Admin Tools and define what you can do in the Records Management site, whereas permissions are specific to sections of the File Plan. For example, you might be assigned the capability to create folders but not categories, or just have the capability to add records.
Category
Record categories contains the retention and retention schedules for folders and records. They control how records are managed, and how they're disposed of when they're not needed any more. The top level of the File Plan can only contain record categories. A category can contain other categories and folders.
Classify
Both files and records can be classified using their Classify option to apply a security classification and security marks. When a file or record is classified it can only be seen by those with the required security clearance, and the security classification level is shown on screen.
Closed (Record Folder)
When a record folder is closed then no more records can be added to it. Records can't be moved into or out of a closed record folder. You can reopen a closed record folder. Record folders are automatically closed when they're cut off.
Completed Record
A completed record is one that has all the information (metadata) present for it’s business context to make sense. A record can't be disposed of until it's complete. Usually a record can only be completed when all the mandatory metadata has been entered.
Cut Off
This is the first step in a retention schedule. Once a record or folder is cut off this triggers the records retention period. Cut Off or inactive records can't be edited. Cut off or inactive record folders are closed.
Declare as Record
You can declare files in non-Records Management sites as records. When you create an "easy access record", a record of the file is added to the Records Management site. The file is still visible in its original site but is locked and has only a limited set of actions.
Disposable Item
A disposable item is a record that can be disposed of by being processed through a retention schedule.
DoD 5015.2-STD
If you create a site of this type then in has additional metadata requirements, as required by the US Department of Defense. Mandatory metadata includes the originator, the originating organization, the publication date, the destroy action.
Electronic Record
A record such as an email, spreadsheet, or image that can be stored in the Records Management site. A non-electronic record is a physical record such as a paper letter or microfilm.
Events
The life cycle of a record is controlled by either time-based or event-based triggers that are set in the retention schedule. Events are triggered when actions occur on a record or folder, such as it being versioned, cut off, closed, superseded, or obsoleted.
File Plan
The File Plan is a container for records, folders, categories and retention schedules. It's effectively a virtual filing cabinet for storing records, and is the basic structure of Records Management. This structure lets you classify and group records with similar characteristics. The top level of the File Plan is created when you create a Records Management site.
Hold
A hold is a state that you can put records and record folders in to freeze them and suspend their retention schedules indefinately. The reason for doing this often relates to a legal issue. Records and folder on hold can't be edited or disposed of, until such a time that they are removed from the hold or the hold itself is deleted.
In-place Records
Records that are created from a file that's in another site, rather than being uploaded directly to the Records Management site. The originating file can still be found and accessed in it’s original location after it has been declared a record and is in the File Plan.
Non-electronic Record
A non-electronic record is a physical record such as a paper letter or microfilm. A non-electronic record in the File Plan is a reference to this physical record. A electronic record is a record such as an email, spreadsheet, or image that can be stored in the Records Management site.
Publication Date
The date that a record is completed and becomes part of the File Plan. This is mandatory metadata in DoD 5015.2-STD.
Rejected records
After you've created a record from a file, the Records Manager has the option to reject the record from the Records Management site. If they reject the record then the original file will display a warning that it's a Rejected Record. At this point the options to declare the file as a record aren't available.
Disposition Schedule
A schedule of actions, events, and rules that determines how records are managed throughout their lifecycle. The actions that can happen in a disposition schedule are: Retain – for a period or until an event, Cutoff – disposition schedule triggered, Transfer – move to another location/system, Accession - record moved to another authority, Destroy - removed from the system
Security Classification
A predefined security group made up of Top Secret, Secret, Confidential, and Unclassified. It can be assigned to content and users, to control who can see sensitive information.
Security Clearance
Security clearance is determined by what classification levels are assigned to users. Once classification is applied to content then users can only see that content if they have the required security clearance.
Transfer
You can transfer records and record folders between locations. Transferred records/folders are temporarily held in the Transfers area of the File Plan until you hover over them and click Complete Transfer.
Unfiled records
When a record is declared from a non-Records Management site it's added to the Unfiled Records area. It then needs to be added to a records folder.

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