Are ISO 15489‐1:2001 and ISAD(G) compatible? Part 1

Abstract

Part 1 of this article presents a provisional set of metadata elements for the implementation of ISO 15489‐1:2001 Information and Documentation – Records Management. In Part 2 the elements are mapped to the General International Standard Archival Description (2nd edition, 2000) (ISAD(G)) to establish the extent to which the two standards are compatible and the degree to which ISO 15489‐1 metadata can be transferred directly from a current records management system to an archival description system. Metadata systematically captured during the current life of the record and transferred to an archive with the record should simplify the process of archival description and prevent the loss of context. The mapping reveals a large degree of correlation between the metadata that should be captured as part of a records management system to satisfy ISO 15489‐1, and the information required to compile an ISAD(G) compliant archival description. Most of the compatible information comes from the Description Area of ISO 15489‐1 metadata elements rather than the management area. Five out of the six mandatory elements for ISAD(G) interoperability, i.e. reference code, title, dates, extent and creator, are present in the ISO 15489‐1 metadata element set, albeit often in an abbreviated form. This is encouraging and perhaps not very surprising, since senior records and archives professionals were involved in the drafting of both standards.