VPRS 12700 List of General Correspondence Files, Registry 11 Correctional Services

Full description

The series consists of a list of files registered on the computer-based Records and Correspondence Management System (RCMS), under Registry 11 Correctional Services. It was created by exporting file data from the RCMS system into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. It is an artificial series, created by the Department of Justice at the request of Public Record Office Victoria, to provide access to VPRS 12700 General Correspondence Files, Registry 11 Correctional Services.

The list captured the file number, key-term classification, file title, and certain additional information for each file.

Organisation of the Data

The data is organised into 13 columns, or fields, presumably corresponding to discrete fields within the RCMS database.

The columns, from left to right, are as follows:

1. FILE.YEAR - The year the file was raised.

2. REGISTRY - The number of the registry in which the file has been registered on the RCMS system. The files referred to by this series were registered under Registry 11 Correctional Services.

3. FILE SEQUENCE - The sequential number allocated to each file as it is raised. Numbers start again from one each year.

4. FILE PART - The part number of the file.

The FILE.YEAR, REGISTRY, FILE SEQUENCE, and FILE PART fields, taken together, provide the file number.

5. KEY TERM - In theory, this is term used to describe the principle subject area of the file.

6. DESCRIPTOR.1, DESCRIPTOR.2 and DESCRIPTOR.3 (Columns 6 to 8) - In theory, these are narrower terms used to break the general subject area into smaller, more specific areas.

7. KWOC.1, KWOC.2, KWOC.3, and KWOC.4 (Key Word Out of Context) (Columns 9 to 12) - Provide for free text description of the file.

The KEY-TERM, DESCRIPTOR, and KWOC fields, taken together, provide the file title.

In practice, many different terms have been used in the key-term and descriptor fields. There appears to have been little control over the creation of new terms and the way in which the terms are used.

8. ADD.FILE.INFO (Additional File Information) - This field contains useful information about previous and subsequent files, related files, file closure, and so forth.