Where next for information audit?

Abstract

Given the importance and potential value of Information Auditing (IA) to organizations it is essential that information professionals continue to develop and publicise the concept, share practice-based evidence on their experience, and report on the benefits and value of auditing. This article reminds us of important publications on IA and considers the two foremost approaches used — the library and information science approach and the financial audit approach. It suggests that both library and information science (LIS) professionals and financial audit professionals would benefit if work were now undertaken to combine their approaches into a single methodology. This view is influenced by the experience of other areas where information audits are now seen as useful tools — internal audit, records management, information security, competitor intelligence and knowledge management. The author is now undertaking further synthesis and practical work on the proposed convergence of methodologies; these will be reported on by this author and a co-author at a future point.