Purpose This study aims to examine why electronic document and records management systems (EDRMS) continue to play a central role in digitally advanced public-sector environments, despite the rise of cloud collaboration and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, using Estonia as a case. The paper introduces productive rigidity to explain how compliance structures stabilise recordkeeping while still allowing gradual change. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study approach: five semi-structured interviews with senior officials and specialists from central government ministries and the State Shared Service Centre, selected through purposive sampling for their EDRMS or records management responsibility, complemented by documentary analysis. Data were analysed using a hybrid inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Findings EDRMS in Estonia function as institutional infrastructures anchored in legal mandates, organisational routines and national digital architectures. Compliance sustains their central role, while usability challenges, metadata burdens, organisational variability and a large share of information held outside the EDRMS in line-of-business systems persist. AI is viewed as a future opportunity, dependent on improved data quality and governance. Social implications By supporting accountability and trustworthy digital records, well-governed EDRMS contribute to public trust in digital government. Originality/value The study introduces productive rigidity to explain how legal, technical and organisational constraints stabilise recordkeeping while enabling controlled transformation, connecting recordkeeping-culture and AI-in-archives literatures, which have received limited attention in government recordkeeping, to an empirical public-sector setting.
Purpose This study aims to examine the future of digital archives in the era of deepfake technology. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative research design, drawing on the expertise of archival practitioners from public agencies. Accordingly, a semi-structured interview was selected to examine the opportunities offered by deepfake technology to digital archives and the potential risks posed by deepfakes in undermining public trust in digital archives and historical memory. Findings Findings revealed a complex duality in how synthetic media is perceived both as a disruptive force and as a transformative innovation capable of enhancing archival trust and authenticity. When ethically employed, deepfake technologies can facilitate constructive authenticity, restore and preserve digital archives and transform synthetic reconstruction into an extension of the archival mission. However, when misused, they risk destabilizing and betraying Duranti’s foundational triad of authenticity, reliability and accuracy. Research limitations/implications For policymakers, the findings point to a pressing need for updated legal and regulatory frameworks that address the evidentiary status of digital records in the age of synthetic media. For IT and digital preservation teams, the study highlights the urgency of integrating advanced detection and verification tools capable of identifying AI-generated or manipulated content. Educators in archival science, library and information studies and information governance must revise curricula to reflect the evolving digital landscape. Originality/value Although a growing body of research has examined the risks posed by deepfake and synthetic media to information integrity, the archival and records management discipline remains underexplored in this discourse. In addition, while AI applications in libraries and archives are widely discussed, scholarship often emphasizes efficiency and access rather than resilience against manipulative content. Existing studies have largely concentrated on the implications of deepfakes for journalism, national security and public misinformation (Chesney and Citron, 2019), with comparatively little empirical attention to how such technologies affect archival principles of authenticity, reliability and integrity. This gap underscores the need to investigate the opportunities offered by deepfake technology to digital archives and the potential risks posed by generative AI in undermining public trust in digital archives and historical memory.
PurposeDriven by regulatory instruments and the deployment of advanced anti-money laundering (AML) technologies, banks are facing the key organisational challenge of AML-related information governance (IG). This study aims to present an IG maturity model and self-assessment tool that may be used by banks and other financial institutions for the purposes of developing their IG capability.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was taken to the development of the IG maturity model. This proceeded through four steps: framework selection, empirical data collection via 50 interviews with IG stakeholders, thematic analysis including maturity assessment and model development, model validation and stakeholder review.FindingsThe thematic analysis identified 347 unique IG practices across the eight banks. These practices were categorised into procedural practices, structural practices and relational practices. An IG maturity model was developed by adapting the Data Management Institute Data Maturity Model (DAMA, 2025). The key role played by the banks' organisational context in influencing the development of IG practices was also identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications for studying the organisational conditions enabling the development of banks' IG practices and the consequences for mitigating the risks of money laundering are discussed.Practical implicationsThis study develops an IG maturity model and self-assessment tool for banks to assess their IG capability.Originality/valueThe value of this study rests in developing an IG maturity model that incorporates the assessment and development of relational IG practices that can aid in achieving organisation-wide IG integration and co-ordination.
PurposeThis study aims to examine the factors sustaining the parallel use of paper-based and electronic medical records (EMRs) in six public primary healthcare facilities (PHC) in Tanzania and proposes strategies to guide a phased transition to a fully digital system.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative design was used, incorporating nonparticipant observations, document reviews and in-depth interviews with 41 healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, accountants, pharmacy technicians and medical records staff across two Tanzanian regions. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and categories related to EMR implementation and usage.FindingsOrganizational, technical and individual-level barriers limit EMR uptake, including poor information technology infrastructure, unstable networks and limited digital literacy. These challenges drive continued reliance on paper-based tools such as manual registers and prescription forms. Recommended strategies include strengthening data backup and recovery protocols, enhancing governance and accountability, building targeted information and communication technology (ICT) capacity, improving infrastructure and system integration, adopting structured change management and fostering active stakeholder engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings provide actionable guidance for policymakers, healthcare managers and implementers on reducing operational inefficiencies caused by dual systems. Addressing infrastructural gaps, investing in inclusive capacity-building and strengthening governance can improve EMR reliability, data quality and service efficiency, while promoting equitable access, transparency and trust in healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved areas.Originality/valueThis study offers context-specific evidence on managing the transition from hybrid to paperless medical record systems in resource-limited settings, contributing practical, policy and governance recommendations to advance digital health integration in Tanzania's PHC.
Purpose - The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the main stages of the institutionalisation of the Ukrainian records management system and to relate them to the three levels of colonialism. Design/methodology/approach - The identification of colonialism in power structures, colonialism of being and colonialism of knowledge, is based on the methodology reflected in the works of Jimenez, Vannini and Cox. Findings - In the course of the study, the authors came to the conclusion that the promoters of the creation of a national system of records management in Ukraine did not make a decisive break with the colonial past. From a practical point of view, the paper can serve as a basis for the development of conceptual documents in the sphere of the decolonisation of records management in the states that emerged in the post-imperial space. Originality/value - To the best of the authors' knowledge, the proposed paper is the first attempt to analyse the process of establishment of the records management system in Ukraine from the point of view of postcolonial theory.
