Workbook on Digital Private Papers > Appraisal and disposal > Appraisal-related issues encountered by Paradigm

Appraisal-related issues encountered by Paradigm

Comparisons with appraising paper archives

Arguably, many of the issues described above are also present in the paper archive.

Managing large quantities of material in paper archives

Paper archives can be vast and include several copies of the same document with slightly different provenance, or of different versions of a document. Snapshots of paper personal archives are also acquired, although accessions are typically less frequent and regular so the likelihood of introducing duplicates is perhaps smaller.

Processing required prior to appraising paper archives

The need to process some digital materials prior to appraisal is also mirrored in the paper world where the intervention of a conservation expert may be required prior to full appraisal.

Establishing the authenticity of creation dates and authorship in paper archives

Questions regarding authenticity and context apply equally to paper archives: the dating of documents and identification of creator has always caused problems. Handwriting is an obvious clue missing from the digital record yet paper archives present similar problems of authorship, for example, typed memos where the author is not given. In archives and libraries across the world there are numerous photographic prints without known date, subject or creator. Researchers are used to dealing with such uncertainties in the paper world, yet the expectations for digital records are higher. Researchers expect accurate creation dates as, on the face of it, they appear to be generated precisely and automatically by the computer. Archivists and researchers have established tools and techniques for scrutinising paper records, but may need to learn additional skills to work with their digital equivalents.

Relevance of format to appraising paper records

Like digital records, the purpose and audience of some paper records can be discerned from their format (e.g. a note written on paper from a spiral notepad will be more informal than a memo on headed paper) and may provide information useful to the appraisal process.