A shared vocabulary

Accession

The initial record of a collection entering a review process. Sending an accession inquiry here describes the archive; it does not transfer ownership or grant access.

Collection register

A structured list linking sources and formats to their location, condition, provenance evidence and open questions. Unknowns should stay visible.

Finding aid

A guide that helps someone understand what a collection contains, how it is arranged and where further information can be found. It describes the material without replacing it.

Condition

The observed state of storage media and records, including readability, corruption, missing components and format dependencies. Untested is different from unreadable.

Provenance

The recorded origin and history of material: who created it, how it arrived, and what transformations or transfers occurred. Provenance evidence supports a rights review but is not itself permission.

Metadata

Information describing the records: field definitions, formats, dates, authors, identifiers and relationships. Inferred metadata should be labelled as an estimate, with its method recorded.

PII mapping

Locating and documenting personally identifiable information or other personal data. The map helps a responsible reviewer decide appropriate handling; automated detection alone does not settle privacy obligations.

Sample manifest

A list describing a controlled sample and its identifiers, metadata, provenance and quality or redaction notes. Permission and appropriate handling must be established before sharing.

Rights status: unknown

The available evidence has not established what uses are permitted. Unknown is a question to investigate, not a clearance to proceed.