Skjalagerð

Skjalagerð is the process of creating and managing written documents in an Icelandic context. It encompasses drafting, editing, and formalizing documents such as contracts, deeds, charters, court records, and administrative notices, as well as the later handling of copies, archiving, and retrieval. In everyday use, the term can also refer to the practice of producing official paperwork within public administration and legal systems.

Derived from skjal, meaning a document or parchment, andgerð, making or forming, the term reflects the crafting of written records.

In medieval Iceland, skjalagerð was essential to the legal and political order. Scribes and clerks copied laws and agreements onto parchment; charters were issued by assemblies and chieftains; documents were authenticated by seals and witnesses. The reliability of skjalagerð underpinned dispute resolution and property transactions, and archival practice preserved collective memory.

Today, skjalagerð covers official drafting in government, courts, and private firms. It includes creating, reviewing, and filing documents; standardization of formats and terminology; and the integration of digital records, metadata, and electronic signatures. Public records are governed by privacy and access rules, and archiving ensures long-term availability.

See also: records management, archival science, notaries and authentication in Icelandic law.