CA Professional Standards & Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An archivist discovers that a major donor has been misrepresenting the provenance of records they wish to donate. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Accept the donation but note the discrepancy internally
- Reject the donation and report the misrepresentation to institutional leadership (Correct answer)
- Accept the donation to preserve the records regardless of provenance issues
- Destroy the records to prevent misinformation from entering the collection
Correct answer: Reject the donation and report the misrepresentation to institutional leadership
Archivists have an ethical obligation to accurately document provenance and report misrepresentations that could undermine the integrity of the archival record.
Question 2: Under the SAA Core Values, which principle requires archivists to balance open access with the protection of privacy for individuals mentioned in records?
- Preservation
- Responsible custody
- Access and use (Correct answer)
- Professional integrity
Correct answer: Access and use
The SAA Core Value of 'Access and Use' explicitly addresses the tension between maximizing access to archival materials and protecting individual privacy rights.
Question 3: A researcher requests access to personnel records that are 40 years old but still contain sensitive medical information about living individuals. The appropriate ethical response is to:
- Deny all access since the records contain medical information
- Provide full unrestricted access since the records are over 30 years old
- Review records for appropriate restriction or redaction before granting access (Correct answer)
- Require the researcher to obtain written consent from every individual mentioned
Correct answer: Review records for appropriate restriction or redaction before granting access
Archivists must evaluate whether sensitive information requires restriction or redaction even in older records, balancing access with privacy protections for living individuals.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'conflict of interest' as it applies to archival practice?
- When two researchers want to use the same collection simultaneously
- When an archivist's personal interests could improperly influence professional decisions (Correct answer)
- When an institution's budget conflicts with preservation goals
- When historical records contradict each other
Correct answer: When an archivist's personal interests could improperly influence professional decisions
A conflict of interest in archival practice occurs when an archivist's personal, financial, or other interests could improperly influence their professional judgment or actions.
Question 5: An archivist is approached by a media outlet requesting information about records involved in ongoing litigation. The archivist should:
- Provide full information to ensure public transparency
- Refuse all comment and refer the request to institutional legal counsel (Correct answer)
- Share only publicly available information already released by the institution
- Deny having any relevant records to avoid involvement
Correct answer: Refuse all comment and refer the request to institutional legal counsel
When records are subject to active litigation, archivists should immediately refer all inquiries to institutional legal counsel to protect both the institution and the integrity of the legal process.
Question 6: The SAA Code of Ethics states that archivists should promote open and equitable access. This means archivists must:
- Provide identical service to all researchers regardless of purpose
- Remove all restrictions from all records immediately upon acquisition
- Work to minimize barriers to access while respecting necessary restrictions (Correct answer)
- Prioritize access for academic researchers over genealogists
Correct answer: Work to minimize barriers to access while respecting necessary restrictions
Promoting equitable access means minimizing unnecessary barriers while still respecting legally mandated or institutionally justified restrictions on certain materials.
Question 7: When an archivist appraises a collection and recommends disposition, their decisions should be based primarily on:
- The monetary value of the records
- The wishes of the records creator
- The evidential, informational, and intrinsic value of the records (Correct answer)
- The storage space available at the institution
Correct answer: The evidential, informational, and intrinsic value of the records
Appraisal decisions must be grounded in professional assessment of evidential, informational, and intrinsic value, not practical or financial considerations alone.
CA Professional Standards & Ethics 2
An archivist discovers that a major donor has been misrepresenting the provenance of records they wish to donate.
What is the most ethical course of action?