A STUDY OF THE THEORY OF APPRAISAL FOR SELECTION By ...

ecently have come from the new medium of electronic records.
The proliferation of electronic information systems as an
increasingly normal method of recording information and
transactions has the potential to become a catalyst in the re-
assessment of appraisal theory and methodology. The application
of archival concepts of provenance and original order to
electronic records has demonstrated the importance of structural
analysis. Automated systems create a startling ease of
transmission and communication of information, an increased
capacity for the manipulation of data and a new integration of
the functional use of data. The dynamic relational formulation
of data structures inexorably clarifies traditional understanding
of the importance of provenance. For only in understanding
administrative structure can one understand the functions of
complex records. While provenance becomes highly intricate, the
concept remains valid for electronic records if one extends it to
the highest administrative level of responsibility for creation.
The careful linkage of various uses of the information system
made by subordinate offices according to their particular
functions can identify and track the vital information about
creation provided by the identification of provenance.
Electronic systems are organized in such a way as to process
information rather than simply transmit it. Each record exists
only within the system, and is dependent on it, not just for
meaning, but also for processing and access. For this reason,
electronic records must be identified, not by series, but by the
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