Case
Abstract
AC+erm was a 3-year project funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council that was conceived as an investigation of the current state of electronic records management and as a catalyst for positive change. It investigated three key aspects of managing records: people, processes, and technology. It involved innovative methodological approaches: the first systematic literature review within the records management discipline, modification of the classic Delphi study method and its use in combination with colloquia and use of the Cynefin framework as an analysis tool for understanding the highly complex problem of electronic records management. Analysis was largely qualitative, using methods that were often rare in the field (faceted classification) or experimental (phenomenological analysis). From the outset, ongoing digital dissemination to inform professional practice was given equal priority with more academic peer-reviewed outputs, in line with the project's aim to develop and share appropriate practical approaches for the contemporary business environment.