Advanced Techniques & Methods Flashcards

Which of the following BEST describes the 'records continuum' model compared to the traditional 'life cycle' model of records management?

Answer: The continuum model views records management and archival functions as concurrent and overlapping rather than sequential stages

The records continuum model, developed primarily in Australia, conceptualizes records management as continuous and multidimensional rather than as discrete sequential phases.

An archivist is processing a mixed collection containing both textual records and audiovisual materials. Which processing approach is MOST appropriate?

Answer: Maintain intellectual unity of the collection while housing audiovisual materials in appropriate separate storage with cross-references in the finding aid

Intellectual unity of the collection is preserved while physical separation accommodates the different environmental and housing needs of audiovisual formats, linked by cross-references.

Under the PREMIS Data Dictionary, what category of metadata specifically records actions taken on a digital object over time, such as migration or format validation?

Answer: Preservation metadata (event entities)

PREMIS defines Event entities to document preservation actions (e.g., format migration, checksum validation, virus checking) applied to digital objects in the preservation lifecycle.

Which approach to processing large backlogs of unprocessed archival collections is advocated by Mark Greene and Dennis Meissner's influential 2005 article?

Answer: More Product, Less Process (MPLP) — reducing processing intensity to increase the proportion of accessible holdings

Greene and Meissner's MPLP approach argues that minimal processing (folder-level description, reducing unnecessary rehousing) gets more collections open to researchers faster.

What is the primary purpose of a Trusted Digital Repository (TDR) audit and certification process such as ISO 16363?

Answer: To assess whether a repository meets defined criteria for reliably preserving digital content over the long term

ISO 16363 (based on TRAC) provides criteria and a process to audit whether a digital repository has the infrastructure, organizational commitment, and digital object management practices to be trusted for long-term preservation.

In archival science, 'alienation' of records refers to:

Answer: The unauthorized or improper removal of records from their proper custodian or repository

Alienation occurs when records are removed from their rightful custodian without proper authority, undermining provenance and institutional integrity.

Which of the following is the MOST significant challenge when applying traditional archival description principles to social media records?

Answer: Social media records have complex, dynamic, and context-dependent provenance that challenges conventional notions of creator and original order

Social media records involve multiple creators, platform-mediated contexts, dynamic content (likes, reposts, edits), and networked relationships that challenge traditional provenance and original order concepts.