Understanding Electronic Incunabula: A Framework for Research on Electronic Records

Archivists need a framework for research on electronic records issues to address one of the greatest challenges facing the profession. Historical evidence and concepts from the history of technology can inform archivists' understanding of electronic records as evolving forms of documentation. Research on electronic records must also account for the social, economic, and political aspects of organizational life that mediate how organizations and individuals adopt and use information technologies. The author provides a framework for research on electronic records issues that places electronic recordkeeping in a historical, social, and cultural context; encourages interdisciplinary research; and urges careful attention to research methodology.