RM Witness Seminar 2010

Transforming Information & Records Management through Research & Development?

A Witness Seminar Conference

The Great Hall, Sutherland Building, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne
4 March 2010

"It turns out it take 30 years for a new idea to seep into culture. Technology does not drive change. It is our collective response to the options and opportunities presented by technology that drives change." Design World, 1992

The seven UK Research Councils invest around £2.8 billion annually in research across the full spectrum of academic disciplines. What is the return on investment? What value is it for professionals? What is its economic, social, public policy and cultural impact? Without it there would be no Web, no genetic technologies built upon the structure of DNA. With it we can communicate and collaborate globally in real time, find new ways to combat disease and improve the quality of life.

But what is the value, potential and realised, of research for information and records management? Where is research happening? How and where is it being used? Who are the researchers? What partnerships are needed? What other research is needed? How can we conduct it?

In this Witness seminar, a group of UK and international information and records management, IT and information systems academics and practitioners engaged in a critical examination of research and development for the information management professions.

This free half-day seminar, building on the success of our previous witness seminars in 2006 and 2007, focused on the results of the AC+erm Project in the broader context of research and development in information management. Delegates could view posters and presentations, and use other materials and tools related to the findings of the AC+erm Project and other projects conducted by Northumbria University’s Information Management Innovation (IMI) Research Group.

Speakers and chairs comprised:

• Steve Bailey (JISC InfoNet)
• Dr David Bowen (Audata Ltd)
• Chris Campbell (Continued Communication Research Group)
• Sue Childs (CEIS, Northumbria University)
• Adrian Cunningham (National Archives of Australia)
• Maria Luisa Di Biagio (European Central Bank)
• Paul Dodgson (Driving Standards Agency)
• Catherine Hare (Consultant)
• Elizabeth Lomas (CEIS, Northumbria University)
• John McDonald (Information Management and Consulting)
• Prof Julie McLeod (CEIS, Northumbria University)
• Michael Moss (Glasgow University)
• Dr Alison Pickard (CEIS, Northumbria University)
• Prof Alistair Sambell (CEIS, Northumbria University)
• Andrew Snowden (Fujitsu Services)

Organised by the School of Computing, Engineering & Information Sciences (CEIS) at Northumbria University, the event was funded as part of the AHRC AC+erm project, comprising the 4th in the project's series of colloquia. The event was also sponsored by the Records Management Journal, Emerald Publishing.

The Proceedings of the Third Northumbria Witness Seminar Conference comprise the written publication available through the link on the right of this page (entitled Colloquium 4), together with John McDonald's video presentation and the audio files of selected sessions of the seminar available via the navigation panel to the left.