E-mail is the most commonly used information technology tool provided on the computer desktop.
Surveys indicate that more computer space is devoted to e-mail than all other applications.
University employees need to recognize their responsibilities in the area of e-mail creation, maintenance, and disposition. The effective management of e-mail is necessary and remains a key objective of records and information management. This is important because e-mail messages can contain records, and in many cases, may be the only record created that documents a transaction, an action taken, or a policy determination or interpretation. Whether e-mail software, records management software, or some type of document management software will accommodate records keeping requirements in the future remains unknown. This Best Practices Guide is made available to provide advice to the University community in the interim.