Electronic Records Archives: Problems and Technologies

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to reveal the main problems and technologies related to using of electronic records archives.Research methodology of the study uses generalization and analysis methods of the sources.Results. The analysis of terms related to the issue of electronic archives shows that in the professional environment the term «Digital Records Archive» is used along with the term «Electronic Records Archive» as synonymous, which is not correct, because «Digital Records Archive» contains only collections formed through digitization of traditional archival documents, so the digital archive is a part of the electronic archive.Most often, the concept of «Electronic Records Archive» is interpreted as an information system or a set of organizational and software-hardware for storing and using archival and other data in electronic form. The structure and functions of such a system must comply with the international standard ISO 14721: 2012 and may differ depending on the implementation of the system and its scope, so they need further clarification.It is noted that developers of information systems often extend the concept of «Electronic Records Archive», using it to denote systems that, in fact, contains an electronic records archive, although, given the requirements of ISO 14721: 2012, this is correct. In addition, there is an economic comprehension of the concept of «Electronic Records Archive» as a means of increasing the income of organizations that use it.The main problems related to mass input of documents in electronic archives are outlined: ensuring structured presentation of documents, achieving quality of entered information, selection of scanner and optical recognition system, high-quality digitization of handwritten texts, input of information from documents such as flexible forms; and technologies: printed and automatic methods of converting paper printed and handwritten documents into electronic form, development of separate software modules with or without the use of FineReader Bank to create recognition systems of document — flexible forms.Novelty. An attempt is made to generalize the interpretation of the concept of «Electronic Records Archive» and to outline the main problems associated to mass input of documents in electronic records archives using the scanning subsystem.The practical significance. The results of the study contribute to a more accurate understanding of the main problems associated to electronic records archives and can be used in teaching courses on this topic.