Hybrid filing schemes: the use of metadata signposts in functional file plans

• Published in: Records management journal (London, England) Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 17 - 31
• Main Author: Morelli, Jeff
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2007
• Subjects: Access control; Archives management; Classification; Classification schemes; Computerized records management; Documents; Electronic documents; Filing; Filing systems; Functional differentiation; Information management; Knowledge management; Metadata; Personnel policies; Plans; Records management; Retention; Studies; Classification schemes; Plans; Archives management; Functional differentiation
• ISSN: 0956-5698; 1758-7689
• DOI: 10.1108/09565690710730679

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to highlight the problems of using metadata to file electronic documents as well as the problems of using a purely functional filing scheme. It aims to explore how a functional file plan can be created from a business classification scheme by inserting "metadata signpost folders" at strategic points in the filing hierarchy to create a "hybrid functional file plan".Design methodology approach - The paper draws on experience and published literature to discuss methods for creating a hybrid functional file plan.Findings - The paper concludes that functional filing is the only method of filing e-documents that can effectively support good information management practice, enabling all e-documents to be managed in line with corporate information management policies, and that it may also be the only viable method of providing true "shared" filing in support of knowledge management and business efficiency.Originality value - The article shows that a functional filing scheme, retrieving, cross-referencing and grouping documents by subject (or other metadata attributes) requires special measures and suggests that current IT, EDRM and related technologies may not fully meet the requirements by searching sorting on metadata terms. It may be necessary to compromise a purely functional file plan by the inclusion of metadata "signpost" folders into the functional folder structure in order to create a hybrid functional file plan.