Archival studies research

A key theme of archival studies research at the Department of ALM is how archival information is defined, arranged, described, preserved and made available in archival collections. A research focus of particular importance is the procedures, challenges and consequences of archival appraisal. Archival appraisal refers to the process of determining which records are to be kept in the archives and which ones are to be destroyed.

Archival management and the contents of archival holdings greatly impact the possibilities of future generations to acquire knowledge about the past. The organization and description of archival information affect its use and interpretation, as well as the possibilities for making it available to users. Research on archival appraisal poses questions about the selection processes: who makes the decisions, and how are the decisions motivated? Which areas of human activity are documented in the archives? What is the relationship between appraisal decisions on the one hand and the actual preservation and destruction measures on the other? How are appraisal practices impacted by the interplay between laws and policies, different modes of archival work and the interests and priorities of archival stakeholders? How does the transition from analogue to born-digital records affect archival preservation and management? Certain types of information must be preserved and available for an extremely long term; how can that challenge be addressed?

Another research area concerns the position, roles, and functions of archives in contemporary society and in relation to available tools and methods of archival management. What are the consequences, for example, of the shift of focus in the archival profession from cultural heritage to records and information management? Yet another change in the archivist profession is that users can access and influence content on the archives’ digital platforms in new ways. There are also new opportunities to manage and make archival content available through OCR and AI tools, including HTR. In connection to this, many questions emerge. Does the application of advanced archive management methods require new ways of conceptualizing authenticity and provenance? How can and should scalable and sustainable repository solutions be created that are capable of accommodating the ever-increasing amount of digitized and born digital records? What is required to be known about how different user groups search for and evaluate records in digital archives so that key user needs can be met? The digital development has also led to concerns about personal privacy and information security when vast amounts of data are collected in different registers. It is therefore important to examine what happens when interests of personal privacy clash with the principles of freedom of information, accountability and long-term archival preservation.