This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Basis of Archival Studies

Code: 44740 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Archival Studies and Information Governance OB 1

Contact

Name:
Irene Brugués Massot
Email:
irene.brugues@uab.cat

Teachers

Laura Fortuny Bonet

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

There are no prerequisits.


Objectives and Contextualisation

General objectives
 
The purpose of the Foundations of archival is to provide students with a general, fundamental and essential knowledge about Archival Science. Regarding the first, the content and the methodology should help to clarify the archive-related points of debate and thought as an emerging and consolidated science, such as its subject matter of study, its relations with other sciences, different tendencies and archival schools or terminology. It also provides students with knowledge in Diplomacy, understood as a science that critically analyzes documents.
 
Specific objectives
 
L1. Introduction to Archival Science      
  • Introduce students to the object of study, purpose, methodology and principles of archival discipline.
  • To offer a global vision of the historical evolution of archival science.
  • Know and identify archives, their types and functions.
  • Know and identify archival systems and the SAC.
  • Acquire a critical vision and own opinion in relation to the points of debate and reflection in archival science and the profession, especially in the Catalan context.

L2. Diplomatics

  • Introduce students to object of study, that is Documental Diplomatics
  • Learn how to recognize the production context of the documents.
  • Gain knowledge that provides the basis or opportunity to be original in the development or application of ideas, often in a research context.
  • Use the terminology of diplomatics and apply the tools it offers to medieval, modern and contemporary documents.

 


Learning Outcomes

  1. CA01 (Competence) Describe the evolution of archival science and its concepts and fundamental principles.
  2. KA01 (Knowledge) Describe the evolution of archival science in the contexts and periods of document production.
  3. KA02 (Knowledge) Explain archival science from the production, management and use of documents, information and data.
  4. KA03 (Knowledge) Recognise the polyhedral nature of administrative, cultural and social archives from the analysis of documentation and its production.
  5. KA04 (Knowledge) Differentiate between different types of archives.
  6. SA01 (Skill) Perform a basic diplomatic analysis of documents.
  7. SA02 (Skill) Use archival terminology in the different contexts of production and custody.

Content

L1. Introduction to Archival Science

  1. Archival as a science 
  2. Archives
  3. Archival Systems
  4. Archivistics as a profession

 L2. Diplomatics

  1. Introduction to Diplomactics: concepts and historiography.
  2. Method of critical analysis of the contextual, formal and essential elements of documents.
  3. Terminology and characteristics of documents.
  4. Trust and authenticity of electronic documents.

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
L1. Interactive lessons 19.5 0.78 CA01, KA01, KA03, KA04, SA02, CA01
L2.Interactive classes 19.5 0.78 KA02, KA03, SA01, SA02, KA02
Type: Supervised      
L1. Practical activities 10.5 0.42 CA01, KA01, KA03, KA04, SA02, CA01
L2. Practical activities 12.5 0.5 KA02, KA03, SA01, SA02, KA02
Type: Autonomous      
L1. Study of resources and reading of bibliography 20 0.8 CA01, KA01, KA03, KA04, SA02, CA01
L2. Study of materials and reading recommended books 18 0.72 KA02, KA03, SA01, SA02, KA02

The module combines three types of training activities. Interactive classes, led by the teacher but with an active participation by the students. Practical activities, in the form of tasks elaborated by students, and autonomous study of both bibliography and other materials related to the subject.

The vehicular language of the subject will be catalan. 

 

This subject includes the gender perspective, since archival science, like any social space, is not alien to power relations and inequalities between people. Being aware of this and of the consequences of our actions as archival professionals is vital to leave more representative archival collections to future generations.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
L1. Practical exercises 50 % 25 1 CA01, KA01, KA03, KA04, SA02
L2. Practical exercises 50% 25 1 KA02, KA03, SA01, SA02

The module is based on continued evaluation. If the students do not reach the pass mark, a recovery exam is contemplated.

This subject does not provide for the single assessment system.

In the case the student has not presented a minimum of 2/3 of the evaluable activities, he/she will be considered as not evaluable.

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks in evaluable activities. The student must clearly identify which parts were generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity.
Lack of transparency in the use of AI in the activitys will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in a partial or total penalty on the activity's grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.


Bibliography

L1. Introduction to Archival Science

MULLER, S., FEITH, J. A., FRUIN, R. (1898). Handleiding voor het ordenen en beschrijven van Archieven [Manual d’organització i descripció dels arxius]. Groningen: Erven B. Van der Kamp. [Hi ha traduccions a l’alemany (Leipzig, 1905), a l’italià (Torí, 1908 i Milà, 1974), al francès (la Haia, 1910), a l’anglès (Nova York, 1940) i al portuguès (Rio de Janeiro, 1960)]. [Última reedició de l’edició anglesa: Chicago : Society of American Archivists, 2003]

JENKINSON, Hilary (1922). A Manual of Archive Administration. Oxford: Clarendon Press. (2a ed.: London: Percy Lund, Humphries and Co. Ltd., 1965).

CASANOVA, Eugenio (1928). Archivistica. Siena: Stab. Arti Grafiche Lazzeri. (Edició anestàtica, Torino: Bottega d’Erasmo, 1966).

BRENNEKE, Adolf (1953). Archivkunde. Ein Beitrag zur Theorie und Geschichte des Europäischen Archivwesens. Leipzig: Koehler und Amelang. (traducció a l’italià de Renato Perrella, Archivistica. Contributo alla teoria ed alla storia archivistica europea. Milano: Giuffrè, 1968).

SCHELLENBERG, Theodore R. (1956). Modern archives. Principles and techniques. Melbourne: F. W. Cheshic. (Traducció al castellà de Manuel Carrera Stampa, Archivos modernos. Principios y técnicas. La Habana: Instituto Panamericano de Geografía e Historia, 1958).

Manuel d’Archivistique. (1970) Théorie et pratique des Archives publiques en France. Ouvrage élaboré par l’Association des Archivistes Français. Paris: SEVPEN.

ROBERGE, Michel (1983). La gestion des documents administratifs. Québec: Documentor. La Pocatière. (Traducció al català de Miquel Casademont i Donay, La gestió dels documents administratius. Barcelona: Diputació; AAC, 1993) (nova edició, L’essentiel de la gestion documentaire. Québec: Gestar, 2002).

LODOLINI, Elio (1984). Archivistica. Principi e problemi. Milano: Franco Angeli. (6a ed.: 1992) (traducció al castellà de Mercedes Costa Paretas, Archivística. Principios y problemas. Madrid: ANABAD, 1993).

HEREDIA HERRERA, Antonia (1986). Archivística General. Teoría y práctica. Sevilla: Diputación Provincial. (7a ed.: 1995).

ALBERCH I FUGUERAS, Ramon (2002). Elsarxius, entrelamemòriahistòricailasocietatdelconeixement. Barcelona: Pòrtic ; Editorial UOC. (Edició en castellà, Losarchivos, entrelamemoriahistóricaylasociedaddelconocimiento. Barcelona: Editorial UOC, 2003).

CRUZ MUNDET, Jose Ramon (2006). La gestión de documentos en las organizaciones. Madrid: Pirámide.

BETTINGTON, Jackie; EBERHARD, Kim; LOO, Rowena; SMITH, Clive (eds.) (2008). Keepingarchives. 3rd ed. Sydney: Australian Society of Archivists Incorporated.

JIMERSON, Randall C. (2009). Archives Power. Memory, Accountability, and Social Justice. Chicago: Society of American Archivists.

Manual d'arxivística i gestiódocumental (2009). Coordinadores: EmíliaCapelliGarriga, MarionaCorominasiNoguera. Barcelona: Associaciód’ArxiversdeCatalunya.

MILLAR,Laura (2009).Archives:principlesandpractices.London:Facet.

HILL, Jennie (Ed.) (2011). The Future of Archives and Recordkeeping.A reader. London: Facet.

BROWN, C. (ed.) (2014). Archives and recordkeeping : theory intopractice, London : Facet Publishing.

DURANTI, Luciana, FRANKS, Patricia C (eds.) (2015). Encyclopedia of Archival Science.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

MACNEILL, Heather, EASTWOOD, Terry (eds) (2017). Currents of Archival Thinking, 2nd Edition. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.

GILLILAND, Anne J., MCKEMMISH, LAU, Andrew J. (eds) (2017). Research in the Archival Multiverse. Clayton: Monash University Publishing

 

L2. Diplomatics

 

DURANTI, Luciana (1996). Diplomática. Usos nuevos para una antigua ciencia. Sevilla: S&C Ediciones, Carmona; 170p.

FERRO, Víctor (1987). El dret públic català. Les institucions a Catalunya fins al Decret de Nova Planta. Vic: Eumo Editorial; 606p.

GRAEBER, David (2015). La utopia de las normes. De la tecnologia, la estupidez y los secretos placeres de la burocracia. Barcelona: Ariel, 253p.

MACNEIL, Heather (2000). Trusting Records. Legal, historical and Diplomatic perspectives. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 163p.

RIDENER, John (2009). From Polders to Postmodernism: A Concise History of Archival Theory. Duluth: Litwin Books, 184p.

SENNETT, Richard (2012). Juntos. Rituales, placeres y política de cooperación: Barcelona: Anagrana; 430p.

SERRA, Jordi. (2008) Los documentos electrónicos. Qué son y cómo se tratan. Gijón: Trea, 2008 (Archivos siglo XXI; 11).

SOLER, Joan (2009). Del bit al logos. Preservar documents electrònics a l’Administració local. Barcelona: Diputació de Barcelona, estudis, 4; 359p.

SOLER JIMÉNEZ, Joan (2010). «La il·lusió d’un vocabulari comú de la preservació digital» a Lligall 31. Barcelona: AAC; p.14-43.

SOLER JIMÉNEZ, Joan (2011). «Una diplomàtica pels documents en crisi» a Lligall 32. Barcelona: AAC; p. 42-76.


Software

There is no specific software needed.


Groups and Languages

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester afternoon