WHAT ARE RECORDS?
A record may be defined as any information captured in reproducible form that is required for conducting business. For anything to constitute a record, it must have been specifically created by or for the particular organisation using it. Thus to enhance the above definition a business record, must be defined as any information that is, recorded on any physical form or medium, generated or received and maintained by a business enterprise as evidence of its organization, functions, decisions, procedures, operations and internal/external transactions.
Records are preserved for two purposes:
- Information value contained in them – they provide knowledge of what happened, when, how and who did it.
- For evidence/proof of an organization legal existence, functions, activities and transactions. Records enable people and organizations to prove that actions have been taken, commitments entered into or obligations carried out.
![Connecting the DOTs with different Records in a business.](https://www.kenvisiontechniks.com/kenwp/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Records-Consolidation-photo-824x618.jpg)
Characteristics of a business record
Must be recorded and exist as a record i.e must be tangible and reproducible.
- Can exist in any medium.
- Must be evidence of a business transaction.
- Must contain information that is intelligible to more than one person I.e information in a record must be understood by more than one person.
Whilst records are created primarily to serve the creator or a specific audience beyond their primary use, access to many records is required for use by the public or by auditors and lawyers.
1.1.1 TYPES OF RECORDS
Records can be a variety of forms. Basically fall under three forms namely:
Paper-based records
This is information recorded on any form of paper. Such a record is also referred to as hard copy.
Examples include:
- Business forms
- Letterhead stationery
- Index cards
- Memos
- Purchase orders
- Maps
- Blue prints
- Reports
- Computer printouts
- Invoices
- Minutes
Microform – Based Records
- This is information recorded on any type of microform.
- These are hard-copy records that have been filmed and reduced in size on a special type of a film and using special type of cameras to capture the images.
- Such records are called micro images or microforms.
Examples include:
- Roll film
- Microfiche
- Aperture cards
- Jackets
- Utrafiche
Electronic –Based Records
This is information recorded in a digital form.
Examples include:
- Computer tapes
- Floppy disks
- Magnetic tape
- Hard disks
- Magnetic card
- Optical disks
- Cassette tape
Digital data can also be stored internally in a computer (on-line) or externally (off-line) on floppy disks or other magnetic media.