CA Professional Standards & Ethics 4

Question 1

An archivist at a private institution is pressured by administrators to deny access to records that reflect poorly on the institution's history. The ethical response is to:

Accepted Answer

Advocate for legitimate access while following proper procedures for any legally justified restrictions

Answer

Archivists should advocate for appropriate access and work within proper channels to challenge restrictions that are not legally or professionally justified, rather than either complying unquestioningly or taking unauthorized unilateral action.

Question 2

In the context of digital preservation, which ethical obligation distinguishes archivists from IT professionals?

Accepted Answer

Archivists must ensure long-term authentic and reliable access to records as evidence

Answer

While IT professionals focus on technical data integrity, archivists have a distinct ethical obligation to preserve the authenticity and evidential value of records across time.

Question 3

A researcher requests records about their own family member who was institutionalized in the 1950s. However, the records are restricted for 75 years. The archivist should:

Accepted Answer

Explain the restriction policy and explore whether a formal access review or FOIA request is applicable

Answer

Archivists must clearly explain restrictions and help researchers understand their options, including formal review processes or applicable freedom of information laws, rather than making ad hoc exceptions.

Question 4

The ethical concept of 'due diligence' in archival practice most closely relates to which activity?

Accepted Answer

Thoroughly researching provenance, copyright, and privacy concerns before acquiring or providing access to materials

Answer

Due diligence in archival practice means thoroughly investigating relevant legal, ethical, and professional considerations—particularly provenance, copyright, and privacy—before acquisition or access decisions.

Question 5

When an archivist encounters materials in a collection that appear to have been stolen from another institution, the ethical obligation requires them to:

Accepted Answer

Notify appropriate authorities and work toward restitution to the rightful institution

Answer

Archivists must not knowingly retain stolen materials; professional ethics and often law require notification of authorities and cooperation in restitution efforts.

(CA) Certified Archivist Certification Practice Test

(CA) Certified Archivist Certification Practice Test

CA Professional Standards & Ethics 4