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

evidence to establish administrative precedents for future
action, as well as knowledge of the historical development of the
agency and its functions. Such thinking assumes a logical
connection between administrative and historical value which has
been accepted as self-evident in the British tradition, but which
clearly requires empirical verification.
The second measure suggested is that appraisal can be
enriched by the insights provided by modern diplomatics.
Diplomatists argue convincingly that diplomatic analysis can
assist archivists in explaining the relationships that exist
between the records of a fonds; and understanding why records
were created, how they were used, and what functions they
supported. The practical application of diplomatics to the
appraisal of specific fonds needs to be demonstrated.
A third measure that can contribute to the rationalization
of the appraisal process is found in the recommendation of the
Grigg Report for two distinct stages of appraisal. The Report
suggests that the initial appraisal be done by the creating
department to identify a broad understanding of administrative
value, five years after the closure of the files. The
application of the British concept of initial appraisal using the
principle of provenance as a guide could easily be adapted to the
timing of the implementation of retention schedules, when files
are moved from their semi-active stage to final disposition. The
Report proposes that archival appraisal be done by the archivist
in conjunction with the creating department to identify both
125