Abstract

This study examines email records management patterns of undergraduate students and their perceptions of university email policy. The research collected data from 317 undergraduate students using a survey based on the five essential elements of email records management: common elements, email creation, email management, email preservation, and perception. Also, an in-depth interview was conducted with 6 undergraduate students, according to the method of university email service: Google, Microsoft, and in-house webmail. As a result, undergraduate students used email as an address book, cloud storage, file storage, and collaboration tool, and they had difficulties in systematically managing the email records according to the records lifecycle. Also, there was a tendency to prefer using an external email platform that can use additional functions to in-house webmail that has limitations in mobile service and preservation of attachments. Thus, this study suggests ways to help undergraduate students manage their email records, including maintaining graduates’ email accounts, providing sufficient email storage, and providing email records management training and guidelines for undergraduate students.