The Ethics of Records Management: Adopting Ethics, Accountability, and Recordkeeping Principles.

• Author: Mooradian, Norman
• Position: Book review

Ethics, Accountability, and Recordkeeping in a Dangerous World

Author: Richard J. Cox, Ph.D.

Publisher: Facet Publishing

Publication Date: 2006

Length: 298 pages

Price: $115 in hardcover

ISBN:-13 978-1856045964

Source: www.arma.org/bookstore

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Accountability, and Recordkeeping in a Dangerous World by Cox is a collection of essays on the ethical challenges facing records managers and archivists in the 21st century. It is intended primarily for records professionals, though it should be of interest to a wider audience. The chapters consist of revised articles that were previously published and are brought together in this volume with an introductory chapter by the author and a forward by Sarah Tyacke. An index and bibliography are included.

Cox addresses a broad range of topics in this book, some more central to the professional ethics of records managers than others. This review addresses the issues most relevant to the ethical problems undertaken by records professionals.

The Ethics of Recordkeeping

The central argument of the publication is that the ethical role of recordkeeping is to enable organizations and individuals to be held accountable for their actions. Therefore, records and archives management have a societal purpose beyond the private interests of organizations and persons. Nonetheless, the moral context in which records management and archiving are practiced is changing rapidly.

First, the war on terrorism has increased national security concerns to such an extent that providing security (or a sense of security) is trumping other political values, such as democracy and civil rights.

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Second, corporations are under increasing pressure to put short-term profits ahead of other considerations. As a result, in both the public and private sector, there is an increased tendency to tolerate, even promote, deception, falsification, or destruction of records, surveillance, breaches of confidentiality, and intrusion on privacy.

Third, records professionals confront increased pressure to be complicit in such activities or be active participants. They meet difficult ethical dilemmas head on and should be prepared to work in this ethically murky environment in a way that best serves the public interest.

The Whistle Blowing Phenomenon

For Cox, the ethical problem that best represents this concern is whistle blowing. "Whistle blowing" is when a person discloses to the general public (the press) or to...