A prelude to state record's appraisal

Appraisal is a basic operation before selecting archives. Since, state organizations produce large amount of records, parts of which are maintained in archive's repositories, its necessary to set up storage systems, based on record's life cycle, as well as archive's procedures and standards. One can define appraisal as a subject analysis of records in order to determine retention period for them in state bodies, and to choose permenent records for archives.Primary and secondary appraisal of records are of significance. Administrative and evidentiary values are parts of primary values, and show that those records are taken as valuable for orga­nization. But, records usually lose their primary value soon after executive and legal cycles or usefulness expire. Therefore, necessarily they should be provided with a timetable and be primed for disposition by a council.Recognizing primary value is important, and one should go through a complex process. Incidentally, the archivist should bear in mind that there are factors, hazardous to primary values. Some papers do not lose their primary values, and can be maintained for a long time Secondary values include archival, information or research values. In other words, second­ary values show the records can be useful for a second party, other than the producing orga­nization. These papers must be stored for researchers, historians, socialogists, and other enthusiasts of the records.According to different views, different criteria are employed to choose archival records. Hence, an archival council is convened to take a final decision on retention or disposition of papers.Re-appraising records, impartiality, sampling, and respecting archive's principles are impor­tant and should be heeded to.In order to evaluate the records, one must study rules and procedures in other archives all across the globe.