Admin Pro Teachings

                                            

 

                       The Glossary of Important Terms

Today we covered the most important terms you come across as an Admin Pro. It goes without saying that you should know these terms inside and out before you can call yourself a "professional".
Here they are - in alphabetical order:

 

ACTIVE RECORD

Records that are in current use and that need to be retained and maintained in office space and equipment close to users. Active records are the most widely used portion of the administrative records.

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS

Recently created records, kept in departmental files or in a records centre for frequent use. Administrative records support function s such as the management of facilities, property, material, finance, personnel, and information systems

ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT

Other name for department, ex. General Administration, Human Resources, Financial Resources, Materials, IT, etc.

APPRAISAL

The practice of determining the value and disposition of records based upon their: administrative, legal and fiscal use; long-term evidential and informational value; and relationship to other records.

ARCHIVES

The body of semi-active or inactive records accumulated by a person or organization and preserved because of their continuing value. It is also used to describe the building or part of a building where archival materials are located.

CLASSIFICATION

The process of identifying records or information in accordance with a predetermined filing or security system. This includes determination of the function or subject of a record and appropriate classification for filing.

CLASSIFICATION PLAN

Document listing the filing codes to be assigned to both incoming and outgoing documents of an organization.

CODING

Assigning alphabetic or numeric symbols (numbers, key-words, or names) to a document to help identify and locate a file within a series of case or subject files.

DISPOSAL (OF RECORDS)

The destruction of documents, conducted on a given date, (once a year) under strict security.

DOCUMENT

See “Record”

 

FILE

The organized collection of papers and records dealing with the same subject or aspect of a subject, kept in a folder, usually in chronological order. A file is used to organize and manage records: It provides evidence of a transaction, case, person, subject, etc.

FILING SYSTEM

The method of classifying records or files. The filing system us defined by how the records or files are placed, how they move, and how easy they are to retrieve.

FOLDER

The material, usually made of cardboard used to hold files. Digitally, they even look like a folder.

HISTORICAL RECORDS

Records that have lost their administrative value but are preserved for their historical value.

INACTIVE RECORDS

Documents that are no longer used for administrative or legal purposes.

INDEXING

Type of analysis in which the content of a record is expressed using key words.

INVENTORY

File inventory: the descriptive list of files or portions of files belonging to an organization.

KEY WORDS

Terms characterizing a content of a record, used in indexing files.

LIFE CYCLE OF A RECORD

The life span of a record from its creation to its final disposition. The active period involves creation/reception, classification, scheduling, preservation and use; the semi-active period involves the continuing preservation, use and storage; and the inactive period signals the end of primary values and the disposition of the records by destruction or transfer to archives.

MAIN RECORD

Record serving as official proof of an organizations activities: in general the original, preserved by the designated administrative unit.

PRIVATE ARCHIVES

Records or papers belonging to a person or a private body, such as a family, religious community, scientific institute, or company.

PUBLIC ARCHIVES

The body of public records collected by a public authority, ex. Government.

RECORD

Any information medium created and preserved for purposes of consultation, study, or evidence. The term record includes letters, brochures, books, maps, films, cds, dvds, drawings, photos, vouchers, papers, and any other thing on which information is recorded or stored.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT

The creation, retention, and protection of records. The creation, updating and disposal of files, including planning, control and coordination of personnel, premises and equipment in order to: group and separate records in a logical manner; establish a system for receiving and transferring records; and establish standards for preserving records.

RETENTION SCHEDULE

The document outlining the period of time records have to be kept active, semi-active, inactive as well as when they can be disposed of. The retention schedule is contained in the classification plan of organism.

SECONDARY RECORD

A copy of the main record, used as a reference or working paper; also used to disseminate information. It can be destroyed once is has served its purpose.

SEMI-ACTIVE RECORDS

Documents in occasional use for administrative or legal purposes.

VITAL RECORD

A record essential for the legal or financial survival of the organization.

WEB SITE

An electronic systems composed of web pages use to provide information about and access to the programs and services of an organization. A web site may be provided on the internet or intranet (where information is shared by employees), or via an extranet (where certain information is shared with clients).

E-mail

Electronic mail

WIKI

A page or pages collected on the web that allows people who access it on.