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ARCV41340

Academic Year 2026/2027

Archival Representation - Arranging and Describing Archives (ARCV41340)

Subject:
Archivistics
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Elizabeth Mullins
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

One of the key tasks of the archivist is to create a series of finding aids to allow for the professional management of archives and for their discovery by users. This module introduces students to the theory and practice of archival representation, the way in which the archivist establishes physical and intellectual control over collections. It provides a practical introduction to the method for describing and arranging analogue and digital archives in line with current Irish and international standards, in particular the International Standard for Archival Description (General) and Records in Context (RiC). The module situates the key standards for archival description in the context of the broader metadata environment and introduces a range of other relevant standards, such as Dublin Core and MARC. The module explores ways of maximizing the discovery of archives, particularly focusing on the role of indexing and the creation of archival authority records. It introduces the software options available for cataloguing archival collections, covering proprietary and open source systems, and considers the emerging role of AI in description. The module explores the theory of archival representation, it introduces the key concepts of provenance and original order and examines the extent to which the archivist mediates between the user and the record, exploring the ways in which representation can adopt more person centred approches. It highlights the significance of frameworks such as More Product Less Process and the total cost of stewardship to address practical issues of backlog and time management.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Describe and arrange a collection of archival material in line with current international standards;
Create authority records in line with current international standards;
Demonstrate familiarity with archival cataloguing software;
Assess the impact of born digital archives on approaches to representation;
Appreciate the significance of archival theory to the practice of representation.

Indicative Module Content:

The module will cover the following broad areas; Week 1; Introduction to Archival Representation; Week 2 Thinking about Standards; Week 3 Planning a Descriptive Project; Week 4 and 5: Description and Arrangement, Coding and Numbering; Week 6 Indexing and Creating Authority Records; Week 7: Representing Born Digital Material ; Week 8: Reading Week; Week 9: Introduction to Open Source Software; Week 10: Introduction to Commercial Software; Week 11: Born Digital Description ; Week 12 Macro level considerations in the description and arrangement of collections.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Proficient

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Proficient

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Proficient

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Proficient

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Proficient

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Proficient

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Proficient

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Proficient

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 1

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 2

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 2
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

90
Autonomous Student Learning

90
Seminar (or Webinar)

20
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group module. It is taught through a two-hour weekly seminar. Each seminar provides an overview of the week’s topic, focusing upon different aspects of archival representation, e.g. the role of standards, approaches to arrangement, the significance of indexing etc. There is a focus upon individual active / task-based learning by means of class discussion, group work and in class exercises. Advanced skills in all aspects of archival representation are developed through practical listing projects. Autonomous learning is advanced through ongoing practical work. The student's own experience of practical work is reinforced by guest lectures from practitioners. While there will be discussion in this module of the extent to which generative AI is being used by archivists to assist the representation of collections, generative AI may not be used in assessments for the module. If you have any concerns about what is included in the remit of generative AI, please consult with your Module Coordinator. A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Collection management 1 (HIS41340)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Group Work Assignment: Production of an archival finding aid. Thinking about archival arrangement, description, indexing and enhancing the discoverablity of collections. Includes both individual and group work.
 Week 15 Graded No
60
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Creating standardized archival descriptions. Week 7 Graded No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual written feedback on all assignments will be given to students in Brightspace. Class feedback will be given where this is possible. Individual oral feedback on all assignments will be provided by one-to-one meetings if requested by students.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 11:00 - 12:50
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