Following are definitions of some common archival terms. For a comprehensive list, see the Dictionary of Archives Terminology, a handy online reference source from the Society of American Archivists.
Archival Collection - A broad term encompassing both personal papers and organizational records collections.
Archives - Records in any format (digital or physical) created by an individual, group, or organization received and maintained by an institution that are determined to have permanent and continuing value.
Artificial Collections - Collections of items assembled by an individual or institution from a variety of sources, usually on a topic or event (the sinking of the Titanic or the March on Washington, e.g.), a person (Abraham Lincoln, e.g.), or a format (menus, matchbook covers, postcards, or product advertising, e.g.). Examples include Walla Walla Photographs,
Finding Aid - Finding aids are tools that help a user find information in a specific record group, collection, or series of archival materials.
Linear Foot - a measurement of the size of a collection, how much shelf space, in feet, the materials occupy.
Original Order is the arrangement of materials established by the creator of the records. Archivists maintain original order whenever possible because the arrangement can shed light on how an individual or organization functioned and can also simplify access to the materials. When there is no discernible order, archivists sort the materials into series such as correspondence, writings, photographs, clippings, etc., in order to facilitate research and access.
Personal Papers or Manuscripts - Collections of materials in any format created by or received and maintained by an individual or family in the course of daily life.
Primary Sources & Secondary Sources - Materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation are considered primary sources. They can be published or unpublished items in any format, from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment. Secondary sources are works that analyze and interpret other sources. They use primary sources to solve research problems. The way you engage with a source determines whether it is a primary or secondary source for your project. Book reviews, for example, are typically considered secondary sources. If the subject of your research is book reviews themselves, however, they would be primary sources for your project.
Process/Processed - Preparing archival materials for use by researchers, or archival materials that have been prepared for use by researchers.
Provenance - A fundamental archival principle (also called respect des fonds) that requires that materials be grouped into collections according to their source, not according to their subject.
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