Standards and standardisation for archival practices in Thailand

• Main Author: Seelakate, Pimphot
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2018
• Subjects: 020
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.763297

This research investigates various factors, including standards and standardisation, which have shaped and continue to shape archival practices at the National Archives of Thailand (NAT). It also explores standards or approaches to standardisation that might be suitable for archival practices in Thailand and the perspectives of NAT staff members towards standards and standardisation. The study employs an interpretivist approach with data collected in 2014 from a literature review, interviews (with UK standardisers and NAT archival professionals), and surveys (of NAT users, non-users, and Thai central government ministries). The research results include the development of a "Conceptualised Diagram of Factors Impacting on Recordkeeping Culture" showing that the various factors shaping archival practices at the NAT include recordkeeping legislation, standards and standardisation systems, and the NAT itself (in terms of its status, its origin, recordkeeping culture, mechanisms of performance assessment and quality assurance, archival professionals' development and attitudes). These factors further include political, economic, IT, and educational factors driven by the phenomenon of globalisation. The results reveal that existing standards at NAT: the Principles of Fundamental Administration and Archives Management (Fine Arts Department, 1999) and the Standard for Records and Archives Preservation of the National Archives (Fine Arts Department, 2012) are not sufficient for archival operations in the digital age of the 21st century. They suggest suitable kinds of standards and standardisation approaches for the NAT and show that archival professionals at the NAT are aware of the necessity to implement new standards and are not against the ideas of adopting international standards. The findings lead to suggestions for developing the quality of archival practices at the NAT, which include improving the regulatory frameworks and policies for recordkeeping practices, and also active outreach programmes to increase public awareness of archival services.