Articles

Visualizing The Archival Work Process: A Survey and Interpretation

---

Abstract

Would it be helpful, and is it possible, to have a pictorial representation for the manner in which practicing archivists conduct their daily work tasks? Utilizing techniques of cognitive psychologists who study visualization, a survey of practicing archivists and archival educators which asked them to represent the archival workflow visually yielded telling differences that can be linked to relative experience: The less experienced archivists were more likely to favor a linear view while veterans favored a more complex form of representation. The process of conceptualizing and creating a visual model, and the resultant models themselves, provide useful tools which can help archivists, and particularly archival students, understand more quickly the pattern of daily work activity. The results of this exercise illustrate the need for greater visual literacy in the archival profession.

How to Cite:

Bain, G. W., (1996) “Visualizing The Archival Work Process: A Survey and Interpretation”, Archival Issues 21(1), 47–60. doi: https://doi.org//archivalissues.10659