Records in Contexts - Conceptual Model

Records in Contexts - Conceptual Model

EGAD - Expert Group on Archival Description

Since 2012, with members from fifteen countries, the EGAD has been developing a new standard for the description of records based on archival principles. In the course of its work it has taken into consideration critiques of current practices, established and emerging national conceptual models as well as the models of allied professional communities, and the opportunities presented by new and emerging communication technologies. The objective of the standard is to reconcile, integrate, and build on the four existing standards: General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G)); International Standard Archival Authority Records—Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families (ISAAR(CPF)); International Standard Description of Functions (ISDF); and International Standard Description of Institutions with Archival Holdings (ISDIAH).

Records in Contexts-Conceptual Model (RiC-CM) is a high-level conceptual model that focuses on intellectually identifying and describing records, the agents that created, used, or are documented in them, and the activities pursued by the agents that the records both facilitate and document. It is the second part of Records in Contexts standard, which also includes, for now, an Introduction to Archival Description (RiC-IAD) and an ontology (RiC-O).

The latest public release of RiC-CM is RiC-CM 0.2, that was published by the EGAD in July 2021, along with a call for comments that is open until January 31, 2022.

Key Dates

September 2016: Version 0.1 of Records in Contexts Conceptual Model is released for comments. You will find below this version under the name "Records in Contexts Conceptual Model Version 0.1"

December 2019: Preview of the Version 0.2 of Records in Contexts Conceptual Model is released in connection with the publication of Records in Contexts Ontology V0.1. You will find below this version under the name "Preview - Records in Contexts Conceptual Model Version 0.2". This Preview does not include the Conceptual Model Introduction, diagrams, or appendices.

July 2021: The full version of Records in Contexts Conceptual Model version 0.2 (RiC-CM 0.2) is released. It replaces the previous version. It is to be used with Records in Contexts Ontology 0.2 that was released in February 2021. You will find below this version under the name "Records in Contexts Conceptual Model 0.2 (RiC-CM 0.2)". EGAD calls for comments on RiC-CM 0.2; the call for comments is open till January 31, 2022 (more information here).