Computerising student records

Durham University was established in 1832. Since 1969 two attempts were made to computerise its current student records but without adequate preliminary investigation and system design. The record archives since 1932 are therefore a hybrid of manual and computerised arrangements with some periods more readily accessible than others but no single arrangement adequate for user requirements. In this thesis the existing arrangements and users' needs are analysed in the context of their available facilities and a comprehensive student record system is designed. The suitability for this purpose of the recently available SPIRES data base is investigated, trial led and found to meet with user satisfaction.