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SAG Changes Name to HSRAA as of 1st January 2018

With effect from 1st January 2018, the Scientific Archivists Group (SAG) will change its name to the Health Sciences Records and Archives Association (HSRAA), reflecting more clearly the scope of the group’s activities. In alignment with the adoption of a new name, the association is launching a new website (https://the-hsraa.org) and new branding.

History of the Association

The initial aim of the association when it was formed in 1981 was to provide support, guidance and networking for those challenged with the responsibility of implementing and operating an archive in their organisation according to GxPs, with a major focus initially on Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). As records management has developed as a recognised process and business activity, and health authorities have taken a growing interest in the management of records across their whole life-cycle – not just those records held in the archive – so the association has also developed. Whilst recognising the importance of compliant archives, the association also recognises the need for compliant processes across the record life-cycle, from creation through to destruction. Data integrity of archived records is dependent upon robust records management practices from the point of creation or capture.

The association has welcomed members – and will continue to welcome members – from a wide variety of companies and organisations conducting scientific research or providing records management services to those companies. However, we recognise that whilst the name of the group has been “Scientific Archivists Group”, our primary focus has been on the application of good record management practice within health sciences specifically.

The Future

As the Health Sciences Records and Archives Association, the group will continue to support a wide variety of roles with responsibility for records and archives, including archivists, records managers, document administrators and file specialists, as well as specialist roles within health sciences organisations, such as GLP Archivist, GCP Archivist, TMF Process Owners and QA Managers.

The objectives of the Association are:

  • to raise the profile of records management and archiving as business-critical activities in health sciences;
  • to improve the professional competencies of records managers and archivists;
  • to encourage the consistent interpretation of pertinent laws, regulations and guidance; and
  • to influence the regulatory environment.