ERIC Number: EJ887517
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1533-2748
EISSN: N/A
Online Finding Aids: Are They Practical?
Hostetter, Christina J.
Journal of Archival Organization, v2 n1-2 p117-145 2004
This article explores the uses, practicality, and problems involved in creating online finding aids by state-funded university archivists across the nation. It examines various aspects of online finding aids such as financial considerations, its importance as a research tool, timelines, demographics, and use. The more technical side is also explored by inquiring how finding aids are created (e.g., EAD/XML, HTML), whether they have been reformatted before appearing on the web, and what archivists believe are the best methods for their creation. Finally, problems that the participants have encountered along the way are reviewed as well as how archivists dealt with them. The study involved 16 university archivists from state-supported institutions and one from a private university. The research for this article is based on the responses to a 20-question survey that was administered by the author by telephone or e-mail. The research was further supported by an examination of the recent literature that has appeared in archival journals as well as contacting archivists who are working on large online projects. The goal of this article is to assist archivists in identifying potential problems in the development of online finding aids while promoting their presence on the Internet as an important research tool. (Contains 60 notes.)
Descriptors: Metadata, Access to Information, Documentation, Archives, Internet, Information Retrieval, Cost Effectiveness, Research Tools, Computer Mediated Communication, Demography, Time Management, Production Techniques, Barriers, Surveys, User Needs (Information), Expectation
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California; Connecticut; Idaho; Iowa; Kentucky; Maryland; Montana; New Jersey; New York; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Tennessee; Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A