Records Management An Introduction to Filing Rules and Indexing

Summary

The video script introduces ARMA filing rules for efficient records management, emphasizing indexing order for personal and business names. It outlines rules for indexing units, handling minor words and symbols, punctuation, possessives, single letters, abbreviations, titles, prefixes, numbers, and organization names. It also addresses how to index identical names, government names, and foreign names, providing a structured approach to organizing and retrieving records.

Takeaways

• 📂 **ARMA Filing Rules**: The script introduces the ARMA filing rules, which are adapted by companies to meet their specific needs for records management.
• 🔍 **Indexing Order**: Personal names are indexed by surname first, followed by first name or initial, and middle name or initial.
• 📜 **Business Names**: Business names are indexed as written, with each word considered a separate unit.
• 📄 **Minor Words in Names**: Articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and symbols are treated as separate indexing units in business names.
• 🔖 **Punctuation Disregard**: Punctuation is ignored when indexing both personal and business names.
• 📝 **Single Letters and Abbreviations**: Initials and abbreviations are indexed as written, with acronyms and call letters treated as one unit.
• 🏷 **Titles and Suffixes**: Titles and suffixes in personal names are the last indexing unit, with numeric suffixes filed before alphabetic ones.
• 🔢 **Numbers in Names**: Spelled-out numbers are filed alphabetically, while digit numbers are treated as one unit and filed before alphabetic names if they are the first unit.
• 🏛 **Organizations and Institutions**: These are filed according to their letterhead, with 'the' as the last indexing unit if it's the first word.
• 🌐 **Identical Names**: For identical names, the order is determined by address, with city names, state or province, and street names considered in sequence.
• 🏢 **Government Names**: Government names are indexed by the governmental unit name first, followed by the distinctive department or office name.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of ARMA filing rules?

The ARMA filing rules are designed to provide a standardized method for organizing and indexing records in a way that meets the specific needs of each company.

How are personal names indexed according to ARMA filing rules?

Personal names are indexed by surname, first name or initial, and middle name or initial.

What is the treatment of business names in the ARMA filing system?

Business names are indexed as written in a letterhead or trademark, with each word considered a separate unit.

How do you handle minor words and symbols in business names when indexing?

Minor words such as articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and symbols are considered separate indexing units.

What is the rule for punctuation and possessives when indexing names?

All punctuation is disregarded when indexing business and personal names.

How are single letters and abbreviations indexed in the ARMA filing rules?

Single letters and abbreviations are indexed as written. Acronyms and call letters are indexed as one unit.

What is the indexing rule for titles and suffixes in personal names?

Titles before a name and suffixes after the name are the last indexing unit, with numeric suffixes filed before alphabetic ones.

How are prefixes, articles, and particles treated in personal and business names?

They are combined with the part of the name following them to form a single unit, ignoring any spaces or punctuation.

What is the indexing rule for numbers in business names?

Numbers spelled out are filed alphabetically, while numbers in digit form are treated as one unit and filed in ascending order before alphabetic names.

How are organizations and institutions indexed?

The name of an organization or institution is filed according to how it appears on the group's letterhead, with 'the' as the last indexing unit if it is the first word.

What is the procedure for indexing identical names?

If entire names are identical, the order is determined by address, considering city names, state or province, street names, and house numbers in that order.

How are government names indexed in the ARMA filing system?

Government names are first indexed by the governmental unit (country, state, county, or city), followed by the distinctive name of the department, office, or board.

Outlines

00:00

📂 ARMA Filing Rules Overview

This paragraph introduces the ARMA filing rules, which are widely adapted by businesses for records management. It explains various rules for indexing, including personal and business names, minor words and symbols, punctuation and possessives, single letters and abbreviations, titles and suffixes, prefixes, numbers, organizations, and identical names. Each rule provides specific guidelines on how to index different elements of names and addresses, ensuring a systematic approach to filing and retrieval.

05:07

🏛️ Government and Street Name Indexing

This paragraph focuses on the indexing rules for government names and street names. It outlines how to index government names starting from the highest administrative unit down to specific departments, with special considerations for federal and foreign entities. The rules for street names include handling numerical and directional prefixes, as well as how to deal with identical city and street names. ZIP codes are explicitly stated as not being used in indexing.

Keywords

💡Records management

Records management refers to the systematic handling, maintenance, and retrieval of records in an organization. It is pivotal for ensuring that important documents and data are accessible and preserved. In the video, records management is the central theme, with a focus on file rules and indexing as key components of the process.

💡File rules

File rules are standardized guidelines used to organize and categorize documents for efficient filing and retrieval. They help maintain order and consistency within a filing system. The video discusses ARMA filing rules, which are a set of widely adopted file rules designed to meet various business needs.

💡Indexing

Indexing in the context of records management involves assigning specific codes or identifiers to documents for easy location and access. It is a critical aspect of maintaining an organized filing system. The video provides an introduction to the principles of indexing, which is essential for understanding how to implement file rules effectively.

💡ARMA filing rules

ARMA filing rules are a set of guidelines developed by the Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) to standardize the way businesses file and retrieve documents. These rules are adaptable to meet the specific needs of different companies. The video script outlines the ARMA filing rules, emphasizing their importance in the records management process.

💡Indexing order of units

The indexing order of units is a rule that dictates the sequence in which different parts of a name or title are indexed. This rule is crucial for ensuring consistency in how names are filed and retrieved. In the video, Rule One of ARMA filing rules addresses the indexing order, specifying that personal names are indexed by surname first, followed by first name or initial, and middle name or initial.

💡Business names

Business names refer to the official titles used by companies or organizations. In the context of records management, business names are indexed according to specific rules to facilitate the organization and retrieval of documents. The video script provides guidelines on how to index business names, including handling minor words, symbols, and abbreviations.

💡Punctuation and possessives

In the context of indexing, punctuation and possessives can affect how names are filed and retrieved. Rule Three of the ARMA filing rules instructs to disregard punctuation when indexing business and personal names, which helps standardize the filing process and avoid confusion.

💡Titles and suffixes

Titles and suffixes are honorifics or descriptors that accompany personal names, such as 'Dr.' or 'Jr.' Understanding how to index these correctly is essential for maintaining an organized filing system. Rule Five of the ARMA filing rules provides guidance on indexing titles and suffixes, ensuring that they are treated as the last indexing unit when present.

💡Numbers in business names

Numbers in business names can be part of the official title or used for identification purposes. Rule Seven of the ARMA filing rules outlines how to index numbers, whether spelled out or in digit form, to ensure that they are filed correctly within the records management system.

💡Organizations and institutions

Organizations and institutions refer to formal groups or entities, such as non-profit organizations, educational institutions, or government bodies. The video script discusses Rule Eight of the ARMA filing rules, which provides guidance on how to index the names of organizations and institutions based on their official letterhead or other official documents.

💡Identical names

Identical names occur when two or more entities have the same name. Rule Nine of the ARMA filing rules addresses how to differentiate between such names by using additional indexing units, such as addresses. This rule is crucial for preventing confusion and ensuring that each entity can be accurately located within the records management system.

💡Government names

Government names refer to the official titles of government units, departments, or agencies. Rule Ten of the ARMA filing rules provides a structured approach to indexing government names, starting with the level of government (e.g., country, state, county) and followed by the distinctive name of the department or office. This rule is essential for maintaining a clear and organized filing system for government-related documents.

Highlights

Introduction to ARMA filing rules for records management.

Adaptation of ARMA filing rules to meet company-specific needs.

Rule one: Personal names are indexed by surname, first name, middle name.

Rule two: Minor words and symbols in business names are indexed separately.

Rule three: Punctuation is disregarded when indexing names.

Rule four: Single letters and abbreviations are indexed as written.

Rule five: Titles and suffixes in personal names are the last indexing unit.

Rule six: Prefixes in names are combined with the following part to form a single unit.

Rule seven: Numbers in business names are filed in ascending order.

Rule eight: Organizations and institutions are filed according to their letterhead.

Rule nine: Identical names are ordered by address.

Rule ten: Government names are indexed by governmental unit and department name.

Federal agencies are indexed by the United States government, state, and local.

State and local government names are indexed by the state, province, county, parish, city, town, township, or village.

Foreign government names are indexed by their English names and official divisions.

Addresses are considered in the order of city, state, street, and house numbers.

Compass directions in street names are indexed as written.

Zip codes are not used in indexing order.

Transcripts

Records management: An introduction to the file rules and indexing.

Filing rules. The filing rules used most frequently in

business have been developed by the association of records managers and

administrators. each company adapts the ARMA filing rules to meet its specific

needs.

ARMA filing rules:

rule one: indexing order of units. personal names are indexed by surname,

first name or initial,

middle name or initial,

business names are indexed as written in a letterhead or trademark, or each word

is a separate unit.

Rule two: minor words and symbols in business names.

articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and symbols are considered separate indexing

units. if the word "the" is the first word of the

business name it becomes the last indexing unit.

Rule three: punctuation and possessives. disregard all punctuation when indexing

business and personal names. Rule four: single letters and abbreviations.

personal names: initials and personal names are considered separate indexing

units. abbreviations of personal names and brief personal names are indexed as

written.

business names. single letters, and business names are indexed as written.

If single letters are separated by a space, index each letter as a separate

unit. index acronyms (such as KFC and ARMA) and television and radio call letters as

one unit.

Abbreviated words, company, incorporated, and names (KFC, A&E) are indexed as one

unit regardless of punctuation or spacing.

Rule five: titles and suffixes. personal names. a title before a name. a senior

suffix. or professional suffix after the name is the last indexing unit.. numeric

suffixes are filed before alphabetic suffixes. if a name contains both a title

and a suffix, the title is the last unit. Royal and religious titles followed by

either a given name or surname only are indexed as written.

Business names. titles in business names are indexed as written. rule six: prefixes,

articles and particles.

an article or particle in a personal or business name is combined with the part

of the name following it to form a single unit. any spaces or punctuation

between the prefix and name should be ignored. Rule Seven: numbers in business names.

numbers that are spelled out are filed alphabetically as written. numbers in

digit form are one unit. names that include numbers as the first unit in

digit form are filed in ascending order before alphabetic names. rule eight:

organizations and institutions. the name of an organization or institution is

filed according to how it appears on the group's letterhead. if the word "the' is

used as a first word in these names, it is considered the last indexing unit.

rule nine: identical names. if entire names are identical the order is

determined by address.

addresses are considered in this order: city names, state or province, street

names including Avenue Boulevard etc. when the first unit of a street name is

written in digits the names are filed in ascending numeric order before the

alphabetic street names. street names with compass directions

north-south etc. are indexed as written.

if city name and street numbers are identical, house numbers are used. zip

codes are not used in indexing order.

rule 10: government names. government names are first indexed by the name of

the governmental unit: country, state, county, or city.

the second unit identifies the distinctive name of the department,

office, or board. words such as "office of" and "Department of" are separate indexing units

When they are part of the official name.

if the word "of" is not part of the official name as written, it should not

be added. Federal: the first three indexing units

of a federal agency are United States government,

state and local. the first three indexing units are the names of the state,

province, County, parish, city, town, township, or village.

the next indexing unit is the most distinctive name of the department, Board,

office, or government division. the words "state of" or "county of" are only added if

necessary for clarity or if they are part of the official office name.

Foreign: the English name is the first indexing unit. the remainder of the

formal name is indexed next if it is needed and if it is part of the official

name. the names of the departments and divisions follow in order.

the names of states, cities and other divisions, follow and are filed by their

official names spelled in English.

You have completed this learning activity. Records management: an

introduction to file rules and indexing.