Fitting in Functions

Katherine M. Wisser & Anila AngjeliDescription Section

August 2015

FUNCTIONS IN ARCHIVAL DESCRIPTION

Current ICA Metadata Model

ISAD(G)(Records)

ISAAR(CPF)(Entities)

ISDF(Functions)

ISDIAH(Repositories)

• Functions and continuity in records creation• Stability of functions in comparison to

administrative structures• Functions as causatively connected to records

on their creation and use• Debunking the 1:1 model of archival

description

The functional approach to archival description

Adding perspectives

Provenance approach

Creator

Records

Functions

Functional approach

Functions

Creator

Records

• Definition of function: subfunctions, business processes, activities, tasks, transactions, and others

• Descriptions used: – Describe as units– Control the creation and use of access points– Document relationships

ISDF: International Standard for the Description of Functions

“Description of functions plays a vital role in explaining the provenance of records. Descriptions of functions can help place records more securely in the context of their creation and use. They can help explain how and why records were created and subsequently used, the purpose or function within an organisation which the records were designed to fulfil, and how records fitted in with and related to other records produced by the same organisation.”

ISDF 1.4, p. 7

Functions as Context

Functions as Context

“Archival description includes information about the content, intellectual and physical attributes of the archival material, as well as information about the context of their creation and use. The contextual information of the creation and use of material is often complex and multi-layered and may involve individuals, families, organizations, societies, functions, activities, business processes, geographic places, events, and other entities.”

EAC-CPF Tag Library, 2011

• 5.1 Identity Area• 5.2 Context Area• 5.3 Relationships Area• 5.4 Control Area• 6 Relating Functions to Corporate Bodies,

Archival Materials and Other Resources

Outline of ISDF

Comparison to ISAAR(CPF)

ISDF• 5.1 Identity Area• 5.2 Context Area• 5.3 Relationships Area• 5.4 Control Area• 6 Relating Functions to

Corporate Bodies, Archival Materials and Other Resources

ISAAR(CPF)• 5.1 Identity Area• 5.2 Description Area• 5.3 Relationships Area• 5.4 Control Area• 6 Relating Corporate Bodies,

Persons and Families to Other Archival Materials and Other Resources

• Identity Area– Type– Authorized form(s) of name– Parallel form(s) of name– Other form(s) of name– Classification

Outline of ISDF

• Context Area– Dates– Description– History– Legislation

Outline of ISDF

• Relationships Area– Authorized form(s) of name/Identifier of related

function– Type– Category– Description of relationship– Dates of relationship

Outline of ISDF

We need an EAC-F Standard

Karsten Kühnel, “The Role of Functional Provenance between Archival Appraisal and Description – do we need an EAC-F standard?”

http://www.apex-project.eu/index.php/en/articles/210-the-role-of-functional-provenance-between-archival-appraisal-and-description-do-we-need-an-eac-f-standard

TS-EAC AND FUNCTIONS

Concomitant events:– ICA annual conference 2013

– EGAD meeting<http://www.ica.org/13799/the-experts-group-on-archival-description/about-the-egad.html>

Kick-off meeting for developing a schema for Functions

• Participation - 20 professionals – From the international community:

Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA

– Including members of TS-EAC, TS-EAD, SDT and EGAD

• Creation of an AdHoc Working Group or “Incubation Group” on Functions

• 22 November 2013, Brussels (Belgium)at the Royal Library of Belgium

ContextSince 2008

four separate, local initiatives for building a schema for functions Sweden National Archives

to support a process-based approach for building an E-Archive and E-Management system in Sweden

Italyto support several projects for encoding current archives

Switzerland Archives of the State of Valais to trace business processes within an organization

France Cross-Ministry Service for the coordination of French archivesto support records appraisal and development of retention schedules

• All based on the overall architecture of EAC, though with variations

• However, unanimous agreement on the need for a unique international standard schema

Decisions on design Principlesat the Brussels’ meeting (1)

• Compliance with ISDF– but extend the scope to “any acting agent”

• Design architecture– based on EAC-CPF --------->

• Approach of shared blocks/elements/attributes with the other archival encoding standards (EAD and EAC-CPF)

• Special focus on Relations– provide the adequate model for expressing the complex

semantics of relations:

Decisions on design Principlesat the Brussels’ meeting (2)

• Close collaboration with EGADRely on EGAD for:– categories of functions and their names– definition of relations– the way ISDF will be further specified

Function

Function

Agents

Archival materials or other resources

• EGAD has tackled the complex “world of functions” (or Business-related concepts)

Goals

Ever since …

Use cases are needed!!!

ActionsDefining entities by addressing questions such as:

➨ Why an agent (person, organization, etc.) does something? (what is the purpose / goal / responsibility)

➨ How an agent achieves this purpose?(what activities are involved to carry out the responsibilities)

➨ Is there a mandate that authorizes the agent?➨ Who mandates/authorizes the agent to do something?➨ Are there rules that govern the activities?➨ What are the relations among the defined entities?

Occupations

Responsibilities

Mandates

Authorities

Rules

…

Business

Incubation Group on Functionswork plan

Virtual meeting in June 2015 decided:- Hold off on construction of a schema for functions until the

archival conceptual model & ontology is further along- Support EGAD in the modeling of functions

(the group includes members from EGAD as well)

➨ From June on -– Bring together a compendium of real life examples

with a broad enough variety :- businesses / functions / activities / occupations …- mandates / rules / authorizations to act …- operational situations and contexts …

➨From November on -- Start building the schema

<http://www2.archivists.org/groups/technical-subcommittee-on-eac-cpf/announcement-of-the-working-group-on-a-schema-for-function>