Professional Standards & Ethics Flashcards

An archivist working in a government agency discovers that officials are selectively destroying records related to a controversial policy decision. The archivist's ethical obligation is to:

Answer: Document the destruction and report it through appropriate channels, including legal authorities if necessary

Archivists have a professional and often legal obligation to prevent unauthorized destruction of records and to report such activities through appropriate channels.

When working with community-based collections from marginalized groups, which ethical principle has gained particular emphasis in contemporary archival practice?

Answer: Participatory description and community input into how materials are represented

Contemporary archival ethics increasingly emphasize involving communities in decisions about how their records are described, accessed, and controlled, particularly for historically marginalized groups.

An archivist is offered a substantial personal gift by a researcher in exchange for expedited processing of a collection. According to professional ethics, the archivist should:

Answer: Decline the gift and provide equitable service based on institutional priorities

Accepting gifts in exchange for preferential service violates the principle of equitable access and creates a conflict of interest that compromises professional integrity.

The principle of 'respect des fonds' has an ethical dimension in that it requires archivists to:

Answer: Maintain the integrity of records as created by their original creators, preserving context

Respect des fonds is an ethical principle that obligates archivists to preserve the evidential integrity of records by maintaining their original order and provenance context.

A researcher discovers what appears to be previously unknown evidence of historical wrongdoing in a restricted collection. Ethically, the archivist should:

Answer: Follow established procedures for reviewing and potentially lifting restrictions through proper channels

Significant findings do not override established review procedures; the proper ethical response is to follow institutional and legal processes for evaluating whether restrictions should be modified.

When an archivist suspects that digitized archival materials have been used in a way that violates copyright, their primary obligation is to:

Answer: Document the suspected violation and refer it to institutional legal counsel

Archivists are responsible for raising copyright concerns through proper institutional channels, not for taking unilateral enforcement or punitive actions.

Which scenario best illustrates the ethical principle of 'professional integrity' as defined in archival ethics codes?

Answer: An archivist accurately represents their qualifications and the limitations of archival holdings when advising researchers

Professional integrity requires honesty about one's qualifications and the nature of archival holdings, ensuring researchers have accurate information for their work.