Information & Records Management and Blockchain Technology: Understanding its Potential

This MSc dissertation researched the extent to which Blockchain technology is or might become a useful tool for information and records management (IRM).

In undertaking this research, I had three aims in mind. Those were:
• To explain the state of knowledge and use of Blockchain technology currently being employed within IRM around the world;
• To investigate why Blockchain technology was or was not being used in the IRM community/profession; and
• To explore whether there is potential for further use of Blockchain technology in IRM.

This topic was selected because there is very little academic or practitioner writing on the role of Blockchain within an IRM context. The aims of this research are investigated through quantitative research methods via an online questionnaire to survey IRM professionals about their knowledge and use of Blockchain and the drivers and obstacles to such knowledge and use or their lack of such knowledge and use.

My research found that Blockchain technology is a little used tool as very few people actually work with it or have experienced it as a records management tool. At this point in time it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about the degree to which Blockchain is or might become a critical tool for IRM.