Records Management (RM), also known as Records and Information Management (RIM), is the practice of controlling and governing what is considered to be the most important information of an organization throughout its life-cycle. This includes from the time the information is conceived through to its eventual disposition. This work includes identifying, classifying, prioritizing, storing, securing, archiving, preserving, retrieving, tracking and destroying the information if it is no longer needed.

RIM should be a part of an organization's broader activities and is associated with Information Governance. It is primarily concerned with the evidence of an organization's activities as well as the reduction or mitigation of risk that may be associated with such evidence.

A record is defined as being something that represents proof of existence and that can be used to recreate or prove state of existence, regardless of medium or characteristics. Records and information are either created or received by an organization in pursuance of or compliance with legal obligations, or in the transaction of business. Records and information can be either tangible objects, such as paper documents like birth certificates, driver's licenses, and physical medical x-rays, or digital information, such as electronic office documents, data in application databases, web site content, and electronic mail (e-mail).

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