Is recordkeeping a profession?

[Truncated] Although records have been used and managed by man for millennia, recordkeeping is a relatively new term coined to describe the field of endeavour that encompasses the comprehensive range of responsibilities and activities performed by those working with records regardless of the type, format, age or content of the record, or the context in which they are created and used. Technological evolution has taken recordkeeping from the relatively simple management of paper-based records to the complex management of a variety of media, in a relatively short period of time. High profile cases of fraud and business failure, and increased government regulation, have resulted in changes in professional recordkeeping practice, which in turn have necessitated change in the knowledge base and skill levels required by recordkeeping practitioners. Recognition of a field of endeavour as a profession is associated with higher status and higher rewards for practitioners, and can lead to greater interest in joining the profession. While professional associations for recordkeepers exist in many countries, membership of these associations is seldom required for practice in the field. There are two professional associations concerned with recordkeeping in Australia: The Records Management Association of Australasia (RMAA) and The Australian Society of Archivists (ASA). Neither body requires a domain-specific university-level qualification in recordkeeping for membership at the professional level. Is recordkeeping then a profession? or, more precisely, to what extent can recordkeeping be considered a profession?