The records‐risk nexus: exploring the relationship between records and risk

This paper seeks to explore the nexus between records and risks. It briefly traces different conceptualizations and the historical evolution of risk and risk management and analyzes discourse on risk and the use of risk management in the field of records management and allied disciplines such as archives and information science.

The methodological approach involves searching for and extracting for analysis references to “risk” in articles from well‐known journals and subjecting the 248 references to a visual analysis.

The visual analysis reveals 15 distinct, and in some cases conceptually related topics or categories of articles on risk. These are analysed further to create a typology of seven distinct topics of discourse defining the records‐risk nexus in the sampled literature.

This paper contributes an analysis of the literature on records and risk that defines the nexus between the two subjects, presents a typology of discourse on the records‐risk nexus, and demonstrates the use of an innovative methodology (visual analysis) for analysis of large sets of bibliographic data.