Introduction to Records Management. Учебное пособие 9785392310463

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МОСКОВСКИЙ ГОС УД АРС ТВЕННЫЙ ЛИНГВИС ТИЧЕСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕ Т

С. Н. Любимцева

INTRODUCTION TO RECORDS MANAGEMENT Учебное пособие

Москва 2019

УДК 811.111(075.8) ББК 81.2Англ-923 Л93

Электронные версии книг на сайте www.prospekt.org

Автор: Любимцева С. Н., доцент кафедры лингвистики и профессиональной коммуникации в области информационных наук Института информационных наук. Рецензент: Мельничук М. В., доктор экономических наук, кандидат педагогических наук, профессор, заместитель руководителя Департамента языковой подготовки Финансового университета, директор Центра инновационных языковых стратегий Финансового университета.

Л93

Любимцева С. Н. Introduction to Records Management : учебное пособие. – Москва : Проспект, 2019. – 240 с. ISBN 978-5-392-31046-3 DOI 10.31085/9785392310463-2019-240

Учебное пособие по английскому языку (для студентов, обучающихся по направлению подготовки 46.03.02 «Документоведение и архивоведение») создано в соответствии с Программой учебной дисциплины «Второй иностранный язык в сфере профессиональной коммуникации (английский)» и предназначено для использования в качестве учебного материала на занятиях со студентами 3-го курса. Цель книги – поэтапное развитие навыков речевого общения студентов в рамках профессиональной документоведческой тематики, формирование умений презентации информации, освоение базового терминологического словаря и русско-английских терминологических соответствий. В пособие включен русско-английский словарь базовой документоведческой терминологии.

УДК 811.111(075.8) ББК 81.2Англ-923

Учебное издание Любимцева Светлана Николаевна INTRODUCTION TO RECORDS MANAGEMENT Учебное пособие

Подписано в печать 18.11.2019. Формат 60×90 1/16. Печать цифровая. Печ. л. 15,0. Тираж 1000 (1-й завод 100) экз. Заказ № ООО «Проспект» 111020, г. Москва, ул. Боровая, д. 7, стр. 4.

ISBN 978-5-392-31046-3 DOI 10.31085/9785392310463-2019-240

© Любимцева С. Н., 2019 © ФГБОУ ВО «Московский государственный лингвистический университет», 2019 © ООО Проспект, 2019

M O S C O W S TAT E L I N G U I S T I C U N I V E R S I T Y

S. N. Lyubimtseva

INTRODUCTION TO RECORDS MANAGEMENT Textbook

Moscow 2019

Аuthor: Lyubimtseva S. N., Associate Professor of the Department of Linguistics and Professional Communication in the Field of Information Sciences of the Institute of Information Sciences. Reviewer: Melnichuk M. V., Doctor of Economics, Candidate of Pedagogy, Professor, Deputy Head of the Department of Language Training of the Financial University, Director of the Centre for Innovative Language Strategies of the Financial University.

Lyubimtseva S. N. Introduction to Records Management : Textbook. – Moscow : Prospekt, 2019. – 240 p. ISBN 978-5-392-31046-3 DOI 10.31085/9785392310463-2019-240 Textbook on English language (for students studying in the direction of training 46.03.02 “Documentation and Archival Studies”) is created in accordance with the Program of academic discipline “Second foreign language in the field of professional communication (English)” and is intended for use as a training material in classes with students of the 3rd year. The purpose of the manual is to gradually develop students’ skills of speech communication within the framework of professional documentary science, to form the skills of information presentation, to master the basic terminological dictionary and Russian-English terminological correspondence. The manual includes a Russian-English dictionary of basic documentary terminology.

ISBN 978-5-392-31046-3 DOI 10.31085/9785392310463-2019-240

© Lyubimtseva S. N., 2019 © Moscow State Linguistic University, 2019 © Prospekt LLC, 2019

КРАТКОЕ ОГЛАВЛЕНИЕ Предисловие ........................................................................................................................7 Part I Unit I.

The World we Live In..................................................................................10

Unit II.

The Basics of Records Management .................................................... 17

Unit III.

Records Management .................................................................................26

Unit IV.

Building an In-House Documentation System ..................................36

Unit V.

Records Life Cycle ....................................................................................... 47

Unit VI.

Storage Vendors ........................................................................................... 57

Unit VII.

Corporate Communication........................................................................66

Unite VIII. Company Documentation ......................................................................... 77 Unit IX.

Meetings .........................................................................................................90

Unit X.

Business Reports ....................................................................................... 102

Unit XI.

Documents in International Trade ...................................................... 115 Part II

Unit I.

Company Financial Documents .......................................................... 130

Unit II.

Archivists and Records Managers ....................................................... 140

Unit III.

Information Life Cycle ............................................................................. 149

Unit IV.

Issues of Records Management ............................................................157

Unit V.

Enterprise Information Management ................................................ 166

Unit VI.

Modern Records Management Challenges ...................................... 175

Unit VII.

Electronic Document Management Systems .................................. 185

6

Краткое оглавление

Unit VIII. Protection of Data..................................................................................... 194 Unit IX.

International Treaties .............................................................................. 202

Unit X.

International Organizations .................................................................. 211

Unit XI.

Functional Requirements for Record-keeping Systems in the United Nations Secretariat ....................................................... 221

Russian-English Dictionary of Key Records Management Terms .................. 230

ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ Настоящее учебное пособие по английскому языку (для студентов, обучающихся по направлению подготовки 46.03.02 «Документоведение и архивоведение»)» создано в соответствии с Программой учебной дисциплины «Второй иностранный язык в сфере профессиональной коммуникации (английский)» и предназначено для использования в качестве учебного материала на занятиях со студентами 3 курса (направление подготовки: 46.03.02 «Документоведение и архивоведение»). Пособие ставит своей целью овладение студентами ключевой терминологией изучаемой специальности, а также формирование у студентов умений и навыков иноязычной коммуникации в области профессионального общения в сфере документоведческой проблематики. Учебное пособие направлено на поэтапное развитие у студентов иноязычной коммуникативной компетенции в сфере их будущей профессиональной деятельности, на формирование у студентов умений и навыков анализа и критической оценки информации, а также на развитие умения ведения беседы и участия в профессиональной дискуссии. Учебное пособие состоит из двух частей. В первой части содержатся тексты, раскрывающие основы документоведения. Учебные тексты второй части освещают вопросы современного документоведения. Принятая в пособии система упражнений, а также высокая концентрация и повторяемость документоведческой терминологии в текстах пособия, обеспечивают усвоение профессиональной лексики. Коммуникативные задания, представленные в заключительных упражнениях к базовым текстам, а также к каждому уроку пособия, способствуют формированию иноязычной коммуникативной компетенции. В связи со спецификой дисциплины в пособии представлены тематически релевантные образцы документов, что обеспечивает наглядность учебных материалов. Пособие создано на основе аутентичных профессионально ориентированных текстов. Тематика текстов пособия соответствует программе по иностранному языку данного этапа обучения.

8

Предисловие

Содержащийся в пособии русско-английский словарь базовой документоведческой лексики способствует активизации учебного материала, более эффективному усвоению терминологических соответствий в русском и английском языках, а также в определенной мере служит развитию у студентов навыка работы со справочной литературой.

PART I

Unit I THE WORLD WE LIVE IN Text A INFORMATION SOCIETY 1. Read the text and do the exercises that follow.

In the 1970s there appeared signs of a fundamental transformation of our society. The world started changing into a global system later called Information Society. An information society is a society where the creation, distribution, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic, political, and cultural activity. Its main drivers are digital information and communication technologies, which have resulted in an information explosion and are profoundly changing all aspects of social organization, including the economy, education, health, and government. The transistor which was invented in 1947 paved the way for digital revolution. The creation of the World Wide Web helped revolutionize the communication systems and made the Internet an essential part of every business. The medium of communication has changed rapidly and mobile communication has become an inevitable part of life. The internet users rose as mobile devices enabled easy and faster connectivity. Instant messengers and chat rooms replaced the voice communication while e-commerce is bringing a paradigm shift in the way people shop. New technologies based on mobile connectivity, social media, cloud computing and big data are leading the way, driving efficiency and productivity. Creative business models of organizations along with innovative products and services are driving consumer demand, creating job opportunities and empowering employees. They are also enabling the society to use resources more efficiently while making the national economy more competitive. To sustain and grow further, companies have started embracing digital transformation, making traditional organizational structures more flexible and adaptable. Traditional businesses and digitally-enabled organizations are no longer constrained by geographical boundaries due to digitization.

Unit I. The World we Live In

11

It is recognized that digital revolution is the backbone of economic, technological, and social prosperity after the industrial revolution. Progress in information technologies and communication has changed the way we live: how we work and do business, how we educate our children, study and do research, train ourselves, and how we are entertained. The modern society is characterised by a high level of information intensity in the everyday life of most citizens, in most organisations and workplaces. The amount of data stored globally has increased tremendously since the 1970s and by 2007 94% of it was stored digitally. More and more countries in the world invest heavily in computers, instruments, and communications systems. Modern technology has greatly improved the quality of information reaching managers’ desks. 2. Answer the following questions.

1. When did the fundamental transformation of our society start? 2. What characteristic features of information society does the author state? 3. What prompted digital revolution? 4. How has digital revolution changed our life? 5. What does information intensity mean? 3. Find English equivalents for the following Russian words or phrases from the

text: существенное преобразование; глобальная система; информационное общество; создание, распространение, объединение информации; цифровая информация; коммуникационные технологии; информационный взрыв; цифровая революция; глобальная сеть; средство связи; голосовая связь; облачные технологии; потребительский спрос; создание рабочих мест; географические границы; основа процветания; плотность информации; качество информации. 4. Increase your vocabulary.

< Pick out from Text A words and phrases characterizing the technological transformation of our society in the 1970s. Compare your results with the choices of other students in your group. < Write out from Text A words and phrases describing the changes in business and economy worldwide. Make sentences of your own using the words and phrases. < Find in Text A sentences with the verb “to enable” (and its derivative). Translate them into Russian. Think of other English verbs conveying the same meaning. < Comment on the following statement from Text A: – It is recognized that digital revolution is the backbone of economic, technological, and social prosperity after the industrial revolution.

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Part I

5. a) Fill each gap with a suitable word from the box.

b) Say how the new digital technologies are expected to change our life. felt, sold, conducted, identified, connected, based, hoped Digital economy Digital economy refers to an economy that is (…) on digital computing technologies, the Internet and the World Wide Web. Three main components of the Digital Economy concept can be (…): e-business infrastructure (hardware, software, telecoms, networks, human capital etc.), e-business (how business is (…), any process that an organization conducts over computer-mediated networks), e-commerce (transfer of goods, for example when a book is (…) online). Though digital economy is a new phenomenon the changes are already (…). People have access to various government services and information, pay their bills and taxes online, register companies through an online gateway that works 24/7. People prefer reliable and secure electronic transactions to cash. It is (…) that new digital technologies will create more job opportunities through technology parks, IT incubators, and call centres. All governmental units will be electronically (…) with each other and will provide better public services. In this new economy, digital networking and communication infrastructures will provide a global platform over which people and organizations will be able to devise strategies, interact, communicate, collaborate and search for information. 6. Render into English.

В 60-е гг. прошлого века появилась концепция информационного общества. Эта концепция формулирует основные характеристики такого общества, а именно: < широкое применение информационных технологий в производстве, бизнесе, образовании и в быту людей; < изменение качества жизни людей в результате их доступа к информации. Для многих стран эта концепция уже стала реальностью. Резко увеличилась доля населения, понимающего важность информационных технологий и важность компьютерной грамотности. Сейчас компьютеры можно видеть везде, на всех рабочих местах. Они играют главную роль в организации и обработке информации. Таким образом, главной чертой информационного общества становится деятельность, направленная на получение, обработку, хранение, преобразование и использование информации.

Unit I. The World we Live In

13

7. Make an outline of Text A. 8. Summarize Text A in detail.

TEXT DISCUSSION 9. Do you agree that modern technologies have broadened human capabilities

and improved the quality of their life? 10. Has progress in information technologies affected education? 11. Is computer literacy a problem these days?

Text B GLOBALIZATION 1. Read the text and do the exercises that follow.

More and more often the term “globalization” is used to describe the current trend in the development of mankind. Cross-border trading is growing, companies are getting global, capital markets are becoming international. Globalization is a process in which individual national economies increase their links with others, which leads to their greater interdependence. However, this process is causing heated debate. On the one hand, it is obvious that globalization leads to the growth in world trade in goods and services; it means greater movement of jobs and capital across borders, it brings about an increase in foreign direct investment and technology transfer between countries. The availability of global finance and lower trade barriers will be additional advantages benefiting businesses. Globalization is an opportunity to expand international standards in law, social development and human rights. Globalization is seen by many people as a force for social change that will help to close the gap between the rich and the poor, the industrialised north and the developing south. There are fears, however, that globalization driven by market forces does not guarantee that participants will benefit equally from increased prosperity. Globalization may bring with it some job destruction in individual economies, lower wages particularly for less skilled workers. There is no guarantee that countries will maintain economic stability in the whole system in the interest of all national economies. Globalization, like any other large process is changing the way of life to which we are accustomed and it may have painful consequences.

Part I

14

2. Answer the following questions.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

What is globalization? What are the obvious benefits of globalization? What are the social aspects of globalization? Why does globalization cause heated debate? Does globalization impact life of common people?

3. Find English equivalents for the following Russian words or phrases from the

text: современная тенденция; развитие человечества; трансграничная торговля; рынок капитала; расширять связи; рост взаимозависимости; прямые инвестиции; передача технологий; торговые барьеры; разрыв между богатыми и бедными; рыночные силы; растущее процветание; экономическая стабильность; болезненные последствия. 4. Increase your vocabulary.

< Make a list of words from Text B describing the changes globalization has brought about. Memorize the words. < Look up the word “economy” in a dictionary. Write out all words formed from the word “economy”. Write sentences illustrating the use of the words. < Comment on the following statement from Text B: – Globalization is seen by many people as a force for social change that will help to close the gap between the rich and the poor. 5. a) Fill each gap with a suitable word from the box.

b) Do you see any negative effects caused by globalization? dissemination, transactions, cooperation, integration, migration, expansion, interactions, removal Globalization is the process of interaction and integration among people, businesses, and governments worldwide. Globalization is the (…) of local and national economies into a global, unregulated market economy. It has been prompted by advances in the transportation and communication technology. With the increased global (…) came the growth in international trade and economic (…). Globalization is primarily an economic process of interaction and integration involving goods, services, the economic resources of capital, technology, and data. Additionally, it has brought about the creation and (…) of global markets, liberalization of economic activities, (…) of trade barriers. In 2000, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) identified four basic aspects of globalization: trade and (…), capital and investment movements, (…) and movement of people, and the (…) of knowledge.

Unit I. The World we Live In

15

Academic literature commonly subdivides globalization into three major areas: economic globalization, cultural globalization, and political globalization. 6. Render into English.

Современные тенденции в развитии человечества все чаще определяются термином «глобализация». Трансграничная торговля растет, все больше компаний превращаются в многонациональные, рынки капиталов и товаров практически стали глобальными. В целом идет процесс усиления взаимодействия и превращения национальных экономических систем в одну глобальную экономику. Этот процесс вызывает горячие споры. С одной стороны, наблюдается рост мировой торговли и инвестиций, распространение передовых технологий, либерализация рынка труда, что создает благоприятные условия для экономического и технологического развития общества. С другой стороны, с приходом многонациональных корпораций часто исчезают традиционные для страны виды деятельности, люди теряют работу в результате модернизации производства. Глобализация фактически меняет жизнь людей часто не в лучшую сторону. 7. Make an outline of Text B. 8. Summarize Text B in detail.

TEXT DISCUSSION 9. Can you give examples of globalization in our every day life? 10. Globalization causes heated debate. What do you think about the common

arguments of anti-globalists? 11. Do modern technologies contribute to globalization?

READ FOR MORE INFORMATION 12. Read the text and say whether you have learned something new and important

for your professional development. Have You Achieved a Paperless Office? Remember when we first began dreaming of the “paperless office”– the efficient, de-cluttered, and sustainable alternative to a world of overflowing file cabinets and depleted forests? The idea is as appealing as ever, but despite the latest in hardware, software, and connectivity, as well as updated laws and cultural shifts, the reams of copy paper and bulky printers, still encumbering many offices, demonstrate that we haven’t yet achieved the dream.

16

Part I

The vision of a paperless office came to light with the beginnings of the personal computer, but in those days we still lacked the technology to turn that vision into reality. Today, it’s a different story – digital publishing can accomplish more than simply eliminating those piles of paper. It’s about managing information – and involves issues like sustainability, storage, security, collaboration, and organization. And we have smartphones, PDFs, and electronic forms and signatures to get us there. The concept isn’t perfect, of course. It’s important to acknowledge that we’re consuming more power to run our electronic devices, for example. Also, in some work environments, providing a computer station for every worker simply isn’t practical or affordable. Still, turning to digital publishing technologies instead of paper offers tremendous benefits. The benefits of going paperless A paperless office greatly benefits the environment. “The average U.S. office worker uses about 10,000 sheets of paper each year – the equivalent of a 100-foot-tall Douglas fir,” explains John Friedman, an author and sustainability expert. We’ve also seen that a paperless office can mean so much more than saving paper – it offers businesses better security, collaboration, and organization. Storing files in the cloud also means fewer filing cabinets and storage units. Fewer cabinets mean a less cluttered work environment and the potential for lower real estate costs due to smaller office space and less need for expensive off-site storage. https://theblog.adobe.com/achieved-paperless-office/

• Comment on the key issue: Do the pluses of computerization outweigh its minuses?

Unit II THE BASICS OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT Text A INFORMATION, RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS 1. Read the text and do the exercises that follow.

While it may not seem obvious at first glance; there is more than semantics that separate records from documents. What is a Record? Records are historical files that provide “proof of existence”. They are used to prove the state of existence of a business. A record is either created or received by an organization in connection with business transactions or it can be used for compliance with legal requirements. The type of physical media does not impact the classification of a record. It can be on paper, microfilm, or even digital. Records are not editable and cannot be recreated. In short, it is a historical document. Some examples of records are driving licenses, legal filings, and tax returns. Records have strict retention schedules that are defined by a business, industry and location. What is a Document? A document is a content file that has information in a structured or unstructured format. It is an editable file. Documents can be stored as paper or digitally. They can be changed and revised as needed. These are “live” files currently being used in transactions. Some examples of documents are customer lists, purchase orders, and phone lists. All records are documents but not all documents are records. Many records start out as documents and then become records when they are finalized. For example, an empty form is a document and then after it is filled in becomes a record. Records are covered by retention requirements and you should keep and update retention schedules in line with the requirements of your location and industry. One should not overlook the fact that there are differences in the meaning of records and information. All records constitute information but

18

Part I

not all information is a record. Information can become a record by being identified as documenting a business transaction or satisfying a business need. Over the years several terms have been used to identify information: knowledge, intelligence, and content to name a few. Whatever the term, in general use, information is an all-encompassing notion including paper and electronic documents, spreadsheets, recorded telephone conversations, databases, in other words, information in paper or other physical forms (microfilms, negatives, photographs, audio or video recordings and other assets). Information is one of the most vital, strategic assets organisations possess. They depend on information to develop products and services, make critical strategic decisions, protect property rights, propel marketing, manage projects, process transactions, service customers, and generate revenue. Managers need high-quality information. The quality of information depends on five factors: < accuracy (info should be free from errors); < timeliness (info should be based on recent data); < completeness (the number of gaps should be kept to a minimum); < conciseness (info should be stated concisely so that decision-makers can grasp it quickly and easily); < relevance (priority should be given to info that is exactly needed). Information can become a record by being identified as documenting a business transaction or satisfying a business need. Records can be considered the memory of the organisation which are extremely important to the continuing operation of a business. Record Nations | April 16, 2015 | Business Tips

2. Answer the following questions.

1. What is characteristic of “a record”? 2. How is “a document” defined in the text? 3. Why is information considered to be the most vital, strategic business asset? 4. What factors characterize quality information? 5. When does information become a record? 3. Find English equivalents for the following Russian words or phrases from the

text: отделить записи от документов; доказать существование бизнеса; деловая сделка; соответствие юридическим требованиям; оказывать воздействие на классификацию записей; разрешенный к редактированию файл; налоговая декларация; график хранения; придавать окончательный вариант записи; обновлять графики

Unit II. The Basics of Records Management

19

хранения; документировать деловую сделку; всеобъемлющее понятие; электронная таблица; обладать жизненно важным активом; защищать имущественные права; получать доход; своевременность информации; полнота данных; краткость информации; уместность информации. 4. Increase your vocabulary.

< Write out from Text A all nouns that are records management terms. Explain their meaning. < Make sentences of your own to illustrate the terms. < Write adjectives for: accuracy timeliness, completeness, conciseness, relevance. < Write verbs related to: compliance, classification, retention, difference. < Comment on the following statement from Text A: – Information is one of the most vital, strategic assets organisations possess. 5. a) Fill each gap with a suitable word from the box.

b) Explain the difference between data and information. said, given, conveyed, processed, received, collected, represented Difference between Data and Information Data and information are interrelated and are often mistakenly used interchangeably. Data usually refers to raw data, or unprocessed data. It is the basic form of data. It may be in the form of numbers, letters, or a set of characters. It is often (…) via measurements. In data computing or data processing, data is (…) by tabular data, a data tree, a data graph etc. Once the data is analyzed and (…), it is considered information. Information is “knowledge communicated or (…) concerning a particular fact or circumstance”. Basically, information is the message that is being (…), whereas data is plain facts. Data in itself is fairly useless, until it is interpreted or processed to get a meaning and to become information. In computing, it can be (…) that data is the computer's language. It is the input for the computer system and the output that the computer gives us. Whereas, information is how we interpret data. It is the human representation of data. Some differences between data and information are (…) below: < Data is unprocessed facts and figures. Information is processed data. < Data doesn’t depend on information. Information depends on data. < Data is not specific. Information is specific. < Data doesn’t carry a meaning. Information must carry a logical meaning. < Data is the raw material. Information is the product.

20

Part I

6. Render into English.

Для нормального функционирования и развития предприятия необходимо постоянно владеть как оперативной, так и стратегической информацией о конкретных областях деятельности, специфических для данного предприятия, и о рыночной ситуации в целом, включая сведения о потребителях, сырье, конъюнктуре рынка, конкурентах, новых технологиях и т. д. Под информацией обычно понимают совокупность сведений, показателей, данных, необходимых для описания того или иного явления, объекта или процесса. Исключительно важная роль информации в управлении объясняется тем, что управленческий процесс сводится к сбору, обработке, передаче, хранению, поиску и использованию информации с целью выработки очередного управленческого решения, которое представляет собой новую информацию управляющего органа, предназначенную как для внутреннего использования (сотрудниками предприятия), так и для внешнего потребления (партнерами по бизнесу, контролирующими гос. органами и т. д.). Можно выделить управленческую информацию, научно-техническую, медицинскую, дипломатическую, военную и др. Информация любого вида должна отвечать общим требованиям оперативности, достоверности, полноты, своевременности, доступности, однозначности толкований и т. д. Зафиксированная на бумаге или другом носителе информация становится документом, а сам процесс фиксирования информации, т. е. создания документов, называют документированием управленческой деятельности. Таким образом, информация может быть: 1. бездокументной (например, телефонные переговоры); 2. документированной (например, присланное по почте служебное письмо). http://eksdan.ru/otvety-na-ekzamenatsionnye-voprosy/121-deloproizvodstvo/6627-znachimost-informatsii-v-deloproizvodstve-osnovnye-trebovaniya-pred-yavlyaemye-k-informatsii.html

7. Make an outline of Text A. 8. Summarize Text A in detail.

TEXT DISCUSSION 9. How do you assess the role of information in business? 10. Why do you think records are considered the memory of the organization? 11. Why do you think the accepted definitions of the record, document, and

information are being reconsidered today?

Unit II. The Basics of Records Management

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Text B WHAT IS A DOCUMENT? 1. Read the text and do the exercises that follow.

They fill our filing cabinets and computers. We write them, read them, share them. But what are they? They're documents, of course, but what is a document? If you were to do much reading in the document management field, you would soon realize that this is a persistent and pesky question. The accepted definition of a document is constantly evolving and our traditional views of documents are difficult to apply in the electronic age. For example, is a .wmv (Windows Media) file a document? Is a .msg file (e-mail message) a document? Some limit the definition of a document to communication that is legally compliant or official. Others broaden the definition to encompass any communication- written or electronic- that has been recorded in any format. It may seem obvious what a document is, until we really try to figure out what makes something a document. Some have dubbed this the Information Age. We're told that modern society is driven by information. But this view may be misdirected; all societies are and have always been “information societies”. What sets our time apart is the proliferation of documents, rather than information per se. Ours is a document society. All day long, in practically every task, we work with documents. Web pages, books, newspapers, articles, forms, advertisements, notices, street signs, artworks, notes, social media posts, emails, memos, mailings... To function in society, to understand the meaning of these things, we have to know how to work with specific types of documents. We can call these skills document literacy, allied with media literacy and information literacy. And as documents become more and more important, so does document literacy. The document is an ancient concept. A document is a written, drawn, presented or memorialized representation of thought. In the course of history our conceptualization of the document has changed. Over time, the concept of the document has picked up a number of related associations – having to do with teaching, evidence, social systems, communication, technology, representation and more. Today, it is clear that documents are much more than mere texts. Is a star a document? Is a pebble rolled by a torrent a document? Is a living animal a document? No. But the photographs and the catalogues of stars, the stones in a museum of mineralogy, and the animals that are cataloged and shown in a zoo, are documents. But if anything can be a document, doesn't the concept lose all meaning? It might seem so, but there are a number of important aspects that make

Part I

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a thing a document: indexicality, complementarity, fixity, documentality and productivity. Indexicality – Documents are representations. They point to other things. Complementarity – Documents have aspects that are informational (mental), material (physical) and communicational (social). The mental component includes the individual, cognitive aspects of the document; the material component includes the technological and physical aspects of the document; and the social component includes the economic, political and cultural aspects of the document. With complementarity, we can recognize that it's more than just the “content” of a document that contributes to its meaning. Fixity – In their physical form, documents are relatively stable. A book from the 1500s, for instance, may be largely the same as it was when it was printed. Documentality has four aspects: Functionality: Documents perform certain social functions, such as constituting a marriage or unifying a company under a brand identity. Historicity: Documents are situated in a particular time and place, such as scientific publications that have been made over the centuries. Social complexity: Documents require training, teaching and learning in order to be created and worked with. Productivity: From a given document, new documents can be made. The Document Academy [email protected]

2. Answer the following questions.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Why is it difficult to define “a document”? What is the distinguishing feature of our time? What is document literacy? What makes a thing a document?

3. Find English equivalents for the following Russian words or phrases from the

text: шкаф для хранения документов; постоянный вопрос; расширять определение; распространение документов; почтовые отправления; информационная грамотность; древняя концепция; важные аспекты документа; выполнять социальную функцию. 4. Increase your vocabulary.

< In English verbs are often formed from nouns and adjectives with “-en” as suffix or prefix. For example: to broaden, to strengthen, to enlarge, to enrich. Add your examples. Write sentences with them. < Find in Text B all word combinations with the word “literacy”. Think of the words that may help you to explain the difference between them. Say why it is important to be document literate.

Unit II. The Basics of Records Management