Archival appraisal in Brazil

Abstract

This paper analyses archival appraisal in Brazil. 1 The main goal is to inform the international archival community about the Brazilian experience. The paper shows that national academic literature, archival authorities and archival legislation conceive of archival appraisal as a tool for effective records management in government agencies. Therefore, the key underlying foundation of archival appraisal in Brazil regarding government records is the principle of ongoing appraisal throughout the records life cycle, in order to save time and resources, diminish the risk of improper destruction of records and promote accountability and transparency. © 2013 Copyright Australian Society of Archivists Inc.