One of the most important functions of any records management system is to ensure that the records it contains can be located at a later time. A title that provides a concise statement of the content of the record will ensure that the right record will be found efficiently and that its content and context will be understood.
If the title does not reflect the content of the file, or the individual document, it will be difficult for users of the system to find the record they need. A key benchmark for both creating a title and monitoring titles in a system is that titles should distinguish the record from all others.
File and container titles should be specific. If the title is too general, more material will be placed on the file, making it harder to retrieve a document of interest. It is generally better to have numerous files relating to specific matters, than only one or two files relating to a wide range of matters.
There are also pitfalls in being too specific in a file or container title. The result can be that documents relating to a topic are spread over a number of files, making it difficult to track the progress of a particular activity. It will also result in a large number of very small files. It should be possible to follow a sequence of events, decisions and transactions relating to a single matter by reading through a single file. As a general rule there should be only one file or container for each group of transactions relating to an individual issue.
A records classification scheme links the business activities of an agency to the records it creates. For more information on records classification, see Classification tools.
The title of a document should capture the purpose of the document. It might include:
Other details such as the date of the record will depend on the requirements of the agency and the metadata that is captured by the electronic system at the point of saving the record. For example, the system might capture the date of registration, but it might be useful to capture the date of creation in the title.
If files on similar things are titled consistently, it makes them easier to retrieve. Make sure that you use an agreed term in situations where there can be variations (eg use ‘personnel’ – not ‘staff’ or ‘employees’). The use of a thesaurus (such as Keyword AAA) can greatly assist in identifying your preferred terms. Agencies should have approved titling conventions and all staff who title files should be made aware of these conventions.
Jargon tends to change, making it difficult to find files at a later time when usage is no longer current.
Acronyms and other abbreviations can mean different things to different people at different times. Does DNA mean ‘Deoxyribonucleic Acid’, ‘Development Needs Analysis’, ‘Do Not Abbreviate’ or something else? Of course, there are circumstances where the use of acronyms or abbreviations is appropriate. You should keep a record of which terms are approved for use.