Archives science takes archives and archives work as the research object. Its basic task is to put forward the scientific theory, principles and methods of archives work on the basis of studying the development law of archives and archives work, to guide the practice of archives work and improve the scientific level of archives management, so as to fully realize the value of archives and serve various social practices.
The research contents of archival science mainly include five aspects: archival basic theory, archival history, archival management, archival resource development and archival application.
The basic theoretical research of archival science is to study the origin and development of archives, the essence and general attributes of archives, the classification of archives types, the regularity of archives value and its realization, and the essence and structure of national archives. The structure, function and social environment of archival work system, the nature and basic principles of archival work, and the relationship between archival work and documents, books and information work; The structure and function of the national archival undertaking system and its relationship with national construction, and the structure and function of the archival legal system; The conditions and signs of archival science, the research objects and tasks of archival science, the system structure of archival science, the relationship between archival science and related disciplines, and the research methods of archival science.
The research on the history of archival science is to study the emergence, development process and laws of archives, archival work and archival science in accordance with the order of historical periods and using specific historical materials. Its task is to clarify the development characteristics of archives and archival work in various social forms, its relationship with politics, economy, science and culture at that time and its social effects, so as to seek historical experience for reference today; On the basis of analyzing and summarizing the previous research results of archival science, this paper explores the origin, factions and development law of archival science thought, with a view to deeply understanding and understanding the formation process of archival science thought, theory and principle, and improving the theoretical level of archival science.
Archives management research is to study the emergence and development of archives management, its guiding ideology, principles and systems, its decision-making, planning, organization, coordination, inspection, supervision and guidance functions, and its administrative, policy, legal, planning, economic and educational means. Its task is to improve the scientific level of archives management, promote the overall coordinated development of archives, create all favorable conditions for the management and development of archives information resources, and better serve the economic and social development.
The research on the management and development of archival resources is the whole process of archival entity management system, archival information development system and its feedback system. The research of archival entity management includes the research on the collection, arrangement, storage and identification of original archives; The research on the development of archival information includes the research on the selection, processing, editing and output of archival information, that is, the research on the cataloging, editing, provision and utilization of archives; The feedback research of archives management includes archives statistics and archives user survey. Its task is to continuously improve the scientific level of archives management, organize archives information exchange in a timely, accurate and extensive manner, and provide efficient services for archives users.
Research on application technology of archival work. Including the research on file protection technology, such as the research on file storage environment control technology, pest control technology and repair technology; Microfilming technology research of archives, such as photography, development, processing, copying, repair, storage and retrieval of archives; The research of computer-aided file management includes the collection and pretreatment of file data before input, the input, storage and processing of file data by computer, and the whole process of file information output by computer. Its task is to gradually realize the modernization of file management technology and improve the efficiency of file management.
The early discipline of archival science was single, mainly studying the arrangement and cataloging of archives. With the massive growth of all kinds of archives, the development of archival work practice and archival undertaking construction, archival science has developed into many branches and undertaken certain research tasks.
In 1950s and 1960s, China divided archival science into several sub-disciplines, such as introduction to archival science, archival management, scientific and technological archival management, archival protection technology, the history of China's archival undertaking, and the history of foreign archival undertaking. In 1980s, Chinese archivists discussed the system structure of archival science, and the representative views are as follows:
Archival science is divided into two parts: theoretical archival science and applied archival science, and then divided into disciplines; Archives science is divided into three parts: basic theory, management discipline and applied technology, or into three parts: theoretical archives science, applied archives science and archives management technology, and then into disciplines; Archives science is divided into seven parts: basic theory, archives professional history, archives career management, archives management, archives talents, archives utilization and benefit, foreign archives work and archives science research, and then divided into disciplines.
Theoretical archival science is to grasp the relationship between the research objects of various branches of archival science as a whole, make a high-level theoretical summary on the basis of applied archival science, reveal the essence and general laws of archives, archival work, archival undertaking and archival science itself, and provide a general theoretical basis for archival work practice and national archival undertaking construction.
Applied archival science is the general name of archival undertaking management, archival resource management and development, and archival work application technology research. Subjects include: archives management, archives management, science and technology archives management, archives compilation, archives statistics, archives bibliography, archives protection technology, computer-aided archives management, archives microform technology, etc.
The characteristics of applied archival science are: first, practicality. Its theory, system, principles and methods are directly applied to the practice of archives management and archives business, and the specific principles and methods occupy a large proportion in the subject knowledge. Second, it is technical. It studies the application of modern technology in archives management, and solves the problems of modernization of archives protection technology, automation of archives management, miniaturization of archives replication and networking of archives information transmission.
Contemporary archives management and national archives management are a complex system, including macro management and micro management, so archival science must also carry out macro research and micro research. Theoretical archival science is an advanced theoretical summary of applied archival science, which plays a guiding role in applied archival science; Using the research results or problems of archival science will promote the development of theoretical archival science. The coordinated and synchronous development of the two is conducive to improving the overall level of archival science.
Characteristics of archival science
Archival science is a social science, or basically belongs to social science, which is determined by the nature of the research object of archival science. Archival work is a social activity to manage archives and provide archival information to serve social practice. Archival science is to study the special social phenomenon of human society, that is, to study the movement law of archives and archival work and its relationship with people's social practice, so it belongs to the category of social science.
The research object of archival science determines that archival science has two distinct characteristics: one is that the important theories and principles of archival science are restricted and influenced by social system and ideology, and the other is that it has strong practicality. The development level of archival practice determines the development level of archival science. The knowledge provided by archival science is not only the basic theoretical knowledge about archives, archival work and archival science itself, but also includes a large number of specific principles, methods and technologies of archival work.
Disciplinary relationship of archival science
Archival science and philology are the most closely related sister disciplines. From the research objects of the two disciplines, documents are the predecessor of archives, archives are the transformation of documents, and paperwork is the premise and foundation of archival work.
The inseparable relationship between archives and history determines the close relationship between archives and history. Archives are the wealth of history and culture, and how to collect, sort out, edit and use archival historical materials is a common concern of archivists and historians. The study of history is inseparable from historical materials, and archives are the original records of history, which is particularly important for the study of history.
Archives science, library science and information science are independent and closely related disciplines. Because of the particularity of their research objects, they have their own characteristics in management system, principles and methods. Archives are mostly manuscripts, originals, or "manuscripts", so there is a special utilization system, which is generally not lent to libraries; Archives have a strong confidentiality in a certain period of time, so it is necessary to establish a confidentiality system and an open system. These are obviously different from library management and information management.
Archives and books are both documents and carriers of knowledge and information resources. The manuscripts of books are archives, and the compilation of archives can be transformed into books. Archives and books are written information, and intelligence is targeted knowledge information. The knowledge and information contained in archives and books can be transformed into intelligence.
In a word, there are many similarities between archives, books and information work, which determines the close relationship between archival science, library science and information science. The research results of these three disciplines can learn from each other and learn from each other the knowledge suitable for this discipline.
In addition, the research of archival science is closely related to other disciplines, such as using quantitative analysis methods of mathematics, using theories and methods of system science, sociology and management science, and using knowledge of natural science and technical science.
The development of archival science has a history of nearly two centuries, but it must adapt to the needs of social development and constantly improve and improve. The new technological revolution in the contemporary world also challenges the archival work, and the traditional archival management mode will change to the modern archival management mode.