The principle of contextuality and document relations: a tentative approach

Abstract

A preliminary exploration of the concept of context, as well as its associated problems, is presented. In order to reach this aim, the perspective of a transfinite model of context is adopted. From this perspective, the context of creation, management and preservation of records is analysed, focusing on the conventional juridical-administrative, provenancial, procedural, documentary and technological contexts. Similarly, the context of use of the records is explored, on the basis of post-modern archival theory. During this exploration, principles of provenance and original order are discussed. Finally, the text states a set of recommendations: a deep research on the concept of context, a critical review of our descriptive techniques, and the suggestion of a new principle, the one of contextuality and relationship, as essential principle in complex bureaucratic and technological environments.