Arkivpraxis

Arkivpraxis is the set of methods, policies, and procedures used to manage archival records within organizations. The term is commonly used in Nordic languages to describe professional practice that covers the lifecycle of records—from creation and capture to appraisal, accessioning, arrangement, description, preservation, and eventual disposition. The aim is to ensure authenticity, integrity, and accessibility of archival materials while respecting provenance and original order.

Core activities in arkivpraxis include records management during the lifecycle, appraisal to determine value and retention periods, arranging and describing holdings, and creating finding aids. Metadata standards and controlled vocabularies are applied to facilitate discovery, along with access policies that balance openness with privacy, copyright, and other legal considerations. Foundational principles include provenance, original order, and respect des fonds, alongside concepts of authenticity, reliability, and accountability.

In the digital age, arkivpraxis emphasizes born-digital records and digital preservation. Strategies include comprehensive metadata capture, format sustainability, regular integrity checks, and planful migrations. Reference models and standards commonly referenced in practice include ISAD(G) for description, ISAAR(CF) for corporate bodies, and, where relevant, Dublin Core or other metadata schemas, as well as institution-specific preservation policies and OAIS-inspired frameworks.

Legal, ethical, and organizational governance shapes arkivpraxis. Public accountability, data protection and privacy laws, freedom of information, and intellectual property considerations influence access decisions and disclosure. The practice requires ongoing professional development, collaboration across units, and alignment with national archival acts, institutional missions, and user needs to ensure that records remain usable and trustworthy over time.