Archives terms explained
Record: a specific piece of recorded information generated, collected, or received in the initiation, conduct, or completion of an activity, and that comprises sufficient content, context, and structure to provide proof or evidence of that activity. At SLAC, a record is broadly defined as documentary material, in any media, that is created or received in the normal course of laboratory business, is worth preserving, either temporarily or permanently, because it provides evidence of the organization's policies, procedures, activities, and decisions and has technical, administrative, historical, and/or legal value. SLAC records cannot be destroyed unless they are covered by a records schedule which indicates the authorized point at which they can be legally destroyed. Please see the list of archival material that is of interest to the SLAC Archives, History and Records Office.
Non-record / Non-records: Nonrecords are copies of documents maintained in more than one location or materials available from public sources, which can be disposed of at the discretion of the user. Please see the list of non-archival material compiled by the SLAC Archives, History and Records Office.
Permanent records: Records of such value that they must be retained in some kind of permanent format. Records created by SLAC staff that must be retained permanently are defined by US Department of Energy (DOE) Records Disposition Authorities (RDAs) approved by the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and published in DOE Records Control Schedules.
Personal and professional papers: Personal and professional papers are documentary materials (in any media) of a private or nonpublic nature that do not relate to or have an effect upon the conduct of SLAC business. A good source for information on this topic is the AIP webpage about scientific source materials.
Accession: a group of records or archives from the same source taken into the Archives at the same time.
Records series: Record series are units of files or documents arranged according to a filing system or kept together because they:
- Relate to a particular subject or function
- Result from the same activity
- Document a specific kind of transaction
- Take a particular physical form
- Or have some other relationship arising out of their creation, receipt, or use (such as restrictions on access or use
Cubic foot: a standard holdings measure. Records occupying a space 12"x12"x12". A standard archives carton is actually not cubic foot but is said to be a "cubic foot."
Sources
- Conseil international des archives - International Council on Archives. Guide For Managing Electronic Records From An Archival Perspective. Committee on Electronic Records, February 1997. (ICA Studies/Études CIA 8) Section 2.1
- Berkeley Lab Archives and Records Office website
- SLAC Archives Program Reviews
