This thesis provides a theoretical examination of the nature of public records. The study begins by outlining a view of archival theory as knowledge resulting from the analysis of ideas. This form of analysis is first applied to the concept of records, and then to the narrower concept of public records. The result is a view of public records as documents made or received and preserved by the sovereign or its agents in the legitimate conduct of governance. / Arts, Faculty of / Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School of / Graduate

The claim of archivists to be a scholarly profession is dependent upon their ability to methodically study and understand the meaning of the records in their care. Without such contextual information about the record as the name of its creating agency, the reason for its creation, and the authority by which it was created, archivists and researchers are in a poor position to assess the value and validity of its informational content. Without knowledge of the relationship of the record to other record series, they are likely to overlook additional supporting and/or contradictory documentation and thereby miss a part of the truth they seek. This thesis is directly concerned with the means by which archival sources might be assessed to determine the value of the historical evidence they contain. It proposes a conceptual framework by which study of the original, primary, and secondary meanings of the archival record might be approached. Examples are drawn from close examination of the records of the Corporation of the City of Nanaimo surviving from the period 1875-1904. While acknowledging that extensive study of the significance of documentation might be impossible for archivists in their daily work, this thesis concludes that closer attention must be paid to sources documenting the contextual environment of the record. Such sources are essential to the furtherance of understanding which is the information profession's ultimate goal. / Arts, Faculty of / Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School of / Graduate

Government archivists serve more than one interest. They are responsible to citizens, as the source of democratic power, and they are responsible to government, as their employer, and as the creator of the records through which government is held accountable to citizens. This thesis explores the role that archives and archivists can play in support of democratic accountability, and traces the historical development of archivists' perceptions of that role. Examples of conflict between serving citizens and serving the state are explored to demonstrate the potential for conflict in the work of government archivists. How government archivists perceive their responsibilities determines the role that archivists and thus archives play in democratic society. It also determines how archivists deal with the conflicts that can arise because of the dual nature of their responsibilities. Seven government archivists were interviewed about their perceptions of their responsibilities and role as public servants in a democratic state, and about their experiences with incidents when their responsibilities were in conflict. The interviews also explored the following factors that determine how government archivists fulfil their role: the expectations and restrictions put on public servants; the level of professional autonomy granted to government archivists as public servants; the predominance of economic determinism within government administrations; the attitude of the archival profession toward activism and advocacy; and the need for a watchdog over government record-keeping. The findings of the interviews led to the conclusion that archivists need to articulate a strong, common language of purpose that emphasizes the importance of preserving and providing access to archives as the evidence of the actions of government administration. This strength, when accompanied by a clear understanding of the political nature of archival work, will help government archivists deal with the constraints and conflicts of their position within government and within society. / Arts, Faculty of / Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School of / Graduate

觀察中國早期帝國管治形態的視角眾多，其中最具資料根據的是地方簿籍制度的運行。自簡牘面世而來，學界對簿籍的歸類和分析未曾間斷，成為重要的研究基礎。現已知其運行地區之廣泛、針對範圍之精細，對於理解秦漢地區管治模式均有助益。然而，簡牘不僅是文字資料的承載物，本身的形制與書寫形態同樣是寶貴的考古資料遺存，在討論秦漢簿籍制度的過程中不能將三者割裂。 / 本文的目的在於將秦漢簿籍系統置於地方行政的視野之下，帶出秦漢簿籍的歷史意義。分析的層次主要有二：第一，簿籍檔案的形制發展。里耶秦簡的面世提供了秦制資料，從秦到漢經歷了簿籍概念的成熟化和專門化過程；第二，在簿籍系統成熟的背景下出現眾多二次書寫形式。二次書寫的定義為在同一簡牘載體上出現兩次或三次的書寫次序，說明簿籍有自身的構成次序。涵蓋範圍包括糧食、金錢、人員流動以及物品記錄，簿籍構成的過程與帝國物資與人員流動的實況同步。二次書寫以及相應的簿籍構成過程與秦漢地方日常行政手續息息相關，對之作出辨認等同還原當時行政場境，同時也是體現秦漢地方管治實況的重要視角。 / Documentation of local records is one of the most prominent indexes to evaluate the level of ancient state development by revealing the effectiveness of regional administration and the supervision of centralized government. The documentation system in Qin and Han Dynasties is the earliest accessible point allowing us to take a glimpse of the centralization process, which is marked by its extensive establishment in terms of both geography and range of recorded items. Excavated Qin and Han bamboo slips convey how the system developed and contributed to local administration. / In pursuit of outlining the administrative role of documentation, this paper attempts to observe the formatting process of Qin and Han local documents by interpreting their outstanding, yet often overlooked, writing sequence. It is characterized by several indications, such as different hand-writings and deviating writing position, implying that local documents underwent at least two writing processes. It also illuminates the transition progress of local documents, their utility in different stages, and most importantly, the interrelation of recording and governing. Recognizing writing sequence on bamboo slips sheds light on the steps of documentation, details of daily administration, as well as how Qin and Han local authorities communicated. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 梁煒傑. / Thesis (M.Phil.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 232-249). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Liang Weijie.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 16, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Charles N. Davis. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Univ., Diss.--Mainz, 2005. / Literaturverz. S. 17 - 43.

The study investigated the role of records surveys in the management of public records in Zimbabwe. The goal was to determine how far records surveys were going in enhancing sound records management practices, thereby improving public service delivery, accountability and good governance. Through interviews, questionnaires and document review it was revealed that records surveys were struggling to attain their intended goal of nurturing sound records management practices in public registries. The lack of ideal mission statements, registry manuals, written disaster management plans, vital records protection programmes, adequate records management training, records retention and disposal schedules, top management support, financial constraints and unclear archival legislation were cited as some of the challenges affecting records and information management surveys from nurturing acceptable records management practices. A closer working relationship between the National Archives and public records management units was recommended. / Information Science / M. Inf. (Archival Science)

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Konstanz, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [170]-176) and index.

This thesis sets out to explain how spheres of responsibility or competences are assigned in the administration of government functions in order to assess the ways in which archivists can come to terms with increasingly rapid rates of administrative change in the performance of their work. It examines statutes and government publications to present a picture of the evolution of the competence of agencies of the government of Canada given responsibility for carrying out activities in administration of the function of agriculture. It is found that knowledge of the assignment of functional responsibility is essential to a number of archival tasks. It is vital to know all the bodies participating in carrying out the function when appraising records. A vital part of identifying the external structure of a fonds lies in determining the competence of the agencies creating records in it, and this knowledge must be effectively communicated in archival description. Finally, the concepts of function, competence, and activity, if clearly understood, can guide the development of vocabularies to assist users of archives to find loci of administrative action relevant to searches they are undertaking. Accumulating information about the functions, competences, and activities of organizations and keeping it current can serve many purposes in the administration of records during the entire life cycle. Organizations need this information to control and provide access to records for administrative purposes and to facilitate secondary access under freedom of information and privacy legislation or for historical research purposes. The method of analyzing how functional activity employed in this study can be used for all government organizations in Canada.

Thesis (M.A.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references.