International standards for records appraisal: an analytical study to come up with an Egyptian standard

Abstract

Documents are a major and most reliable source of information because they are produced as a result of performing specific functions or activities, and not for the purpose of being a source of information. However, the emergence of large organizations with diverse interests and fields, the complexity of the procedures necessary to implement functions and services, in addition to the rapid development of information and communications technology in the late twentieth century, led to a tremendous increase in the production of documents. This resulted in major problems, such as the accumulation of documents in departments due to the limited space available for storing them, which necessitated the disposal of less important documents. Unfortunately, the disposal process is carried out randomly and unscientifically, leading to the loss of documents of irreplaceable historical value, depriving the National Archives and departments of sources documenting their history and activities, and thus depriving the state of important sources for studying its administrative history and planning development. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out evaluation activity to retain important documents and get rid of unimportant ones based on international standards, with the aim of eliminating personal judgments and individual practices. Many countries and organizations have been interested in developing standards for document management, including calendaring. This study aims to address international standards for document evaluation by inventorying, studying, and analyzing them in detail to develop an Egyptian standard that is compatible with the Egyptian environment.