FIT3121 Archival systems - Semester 1, 2009

Caulfield

• Sue McKemmish
• Kate Lazarenko

Prerequisites

IMS2102 or IMS2603 or FIT2054 and 12 credit points of FIT 2nd year units or equivalent.

Relationships

This is an elective unit in the Information Management Major in the Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems. It may be taken as an elective in other programs where you have satisfied the prerequisites and course rules permit.

Unit leader

Lecturer(s) :

• Seminars
• Class discussion and activities
• Regular home study and reading
• Internet browsing
• Assignments and assessable activities
• Communication with other students and staff via discussion groups

Communication, participation and feedback

Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Unit Schedule

Week	Topic	Key dates
1	Introduction to FIT3121 Archival Systems	3 March
2	Archival Systems, Evidence and Metadata: Key Concepts	10 March
3	Recordkeeping Contexts: Social, Cultural, Legal, Organisational Part 1	17 March
4	Recordkeeping Contexts: Social, Cultural, Legal, Organisational Part 2	24 March
5	Professional Frameworks Part 1: The Records Continuum Model	31 March
6	Professional Frameworks Part 2: Archives in Australia	7 April
Mid semester break
7	Appraisal Frameworks and Theory	21 April
8	Appraisal Policies, Strategies, Tools	28 April
9	Metadata Frameworks, Standards and Schema	5 May
10	Metadata in Recordkeeping and Archival Systems Part 1	12 May
11	Metadata in Recordkeeping and Archival Systems Part 2	19 May
12	Archival Systems Research Part 1	26 May
13	Archival Systems Research Part 2	2 June

Prescribed text(s) and readings

Sue McKemmish, Michael Piggott, Barbara Reed and Frank Upward, Archives: Recordkeeping in Society (Wagga Wagga: CIS, 2005).

Available from CITSU Bookshop, Monash University. You can also order via post (28 Sir John Monash Drive, Caulfield East, Vic 3145), telephone (9571 3277), fax (9563 5948) or email (orders@citsu.bookshop.com.au).  Mail order is also available direct from the publisher – go to www.csu.edu.au/cis.

Considerable use will be made of the Australian and International Standards, AS ISO 15489 and AS ISO 23081, available through the Monash Library’s Standards On-line Premium  Database.

Recommended text(s) and readings

Recommended texts:
Jay Kennedy and Cheryl Schauder, Records Management, A guide to Corporate Recordkeeping, 2nd edition (Melbourne: Longman's, 1998

Purchase of this book is strongly recommended. It is available from the CITSU Bookshop, Monash University. You can order via post (28 Sir John Monash Drive, Caulfield East, Vic 3145), telephone (9571 3277), fax (9563 5948) or email (orders@citsu.bookshop.com.au).

Other references:
Electronically delivered course notes, resource material and internet references will be provided during the course, available from the unit website.
Books and electronic material available through the Caulfield campus library will be made available from a unit reading list
 
Articles from the following journals are frequently cited:

• Archivaria (journal of the Association of Canadian Archivists)
• Archives and Manuscripts (journal of the Australian Society of Archivists)
• Informaa (journal of the Records Management Association of Australia)
• The American Archivist (journal of the Society of American Archivists).

Keeping up to date with the professional literature is an essential component of working in any field. It is recommended that you check on the availability of the key journals listed above via the Monash Library or at a library in your area. It is also recommended that you consider subscribing to Archives and Manuscripts It will be assumed throughout IMS 5010 that you have access at least to Archives and Manuscripts.

Required software and/or hardware

No specific software is required for this unit. You will need a browser to access the study materials on MUSO, use electronic resources in the library, and to read and send email.

Equipment and consumables required or provided

On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

All study materials and resources are provided via the Unit Website or Monash Library. They include:

• Unit Guide 
• Assignment specifications
• Detailed lecture notes and ppt presentations for each week on the unit web site
• Recordings of lectures via Lectures Online available via the Monash University Library website (www.lib.monash.edu.au)
• Reading lists for each week on the unit website
• Electronic and class discussion topics
• Books and electronic material available through the Caulfield campus library.

To access Unit Website, go to http://muso.monash.edu.au and enter your authcat.

Library access

The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching.  To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.

The Educational Library and Media Resources (LMR) is also a very resourceful place to visit at http://www.education.monash.edu.au/library/

Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle. If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle (http://moodle.monash.edu.au) and can bookmark this link to access directly. In Moodle, from the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.

You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal: http://my.monash.edu.au

Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.

In order for your Blackboard unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

For example:

• Blackboard supported browser
• Supported Java runtime environment

For more information, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

You can contact the MUSO Support by phone : (+61 3) 9903 1268

For further contact information including operational hours, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

Unit assessment policy

The unit is assessed with two assignments and a three hour closed book examination. To pass the unit you must:

• attempt both assignments and the examination
• achieve no less that 40% of the possible marks in the exam
• achieve no less than 50% of possible marks

Assignment tasks

• Assignment Task

  Title : Assignment 1 Email Discussion Tasks 1-5

  Description :

  A detailed assignment specification will be provided.

  Weighting : 25%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be provided in the assignment specification.

  Due date : See assignment specification

• Assignment Task

  Title : Assignment 1 Appraisal or Assignment 2: Metadata Exercise

  Description :

  A detailed assignment specification will be provided.

  Weighting : 30%

  Criteria for assessment :

  See assignment specification.

  Due date : See assignment specification.

Examinations

• Examination 1

  Weighting : 45%

  Length : 2 hours

  Type ( open/closed book ) : Closed book

  
  

Assignment submission

Assignments should be submitted electronically via the MUSO unit website - go to http://muso.monash.edu.au and enter your authcat to access the site. The due date is the date by which the submission must be posted to the site.

Assessment Notes

1. Acknowledgment of sources
   
   Each time you complete any assessment, please refer to and make yourself familiar with the most current information regarding acknowledgement of sources, plagiarism and academic conduct.
   
2. Assignments
   
   2.1 Standards for presentation
   All printed assignment work must be word processed and meet the standards set out in the assignment. Refer also to the guidelines for writing assignments for additional information on presentation standards:
   http://www.sims.monash.edu.au/resources/style.html
   
   2.2 Cover page
   All assignments must include an appropriate signed assignment cover page. A copy of the assignment cover page is available on the unit web site.

Assignment coversheets

Signed copies of the Assignment Cover Sheet should be given to the Lecturer or Teaching Assistant in class, submitted at the Caulfield School of IT front desk (Level 6, Building H), or faxed to the Lecturer or Teaching Assistant on 61 3 9903 1077.

The pro-forma for the Assignment Cover Sheet is available on the MUSO unit web site.

Due dates and extensions

The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Late assignment

Late submissions may be penalised. If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness you should apply for an extension before the due date. Completion of special consideration forms, medical certificates or certification supporting your application may be required (see the following URL for more detail: http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/academicpolicies/policy/specialconsideration.html)

Note:

•  Assignments in this unit are no less important than those of other units. Your inability to manage your time or computing resources will not be accepted as a valid excuse. (Several assignments falling due at the same time is often unavoidable.)
• Backup copies are required to be made of all assignments and retained for 12 months, in case of loss.
• Hardware failures are not normally recognised as a valid reason for obtaining an extension or handing in a late assignment.

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

Assignment results will be made available to you together with feedback via the MUSO unit web site.

Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/committees-groups/facboard/policies/studrights.html) and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Register of counselling about plagiarism

The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

Non-discriminatory language

The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

• Faculty of Information Technology Student Service staff, and / or
• your Unit Coordinator, or
• Disabilities Liaison Unit

Deferred assessment and special consideration

Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.