Unveiling Context: The Contribution of Documentary Typology Studies to Knowledge

Résumé

Documentary typology and archival identification are fields of study that, although well established within Archival Science, often generate theoretical confusion. Both employ specific methodological approaches to retrieve documentary context in order to clarify the origins of records and archival collections. This essay aims, drawing on theoretical considerations and documentary examples, to explain and highlight the distinctive features of each field, thereby contributing to more contextualized access to archival materials. Provenance and record type play a central role in this discussion, as they constitute the primary objects of study of archival identification and documentary typology, respectively. These referential values are also essential for historical research, as they contribute to understanding individuals, institutions, and socio-historical circumstances. The article concludes that the interaction between documentary typology and archival identification enables productive associations in archival processing, benefiting not only archival description and organization but also researchers, insofar as they offer significant information about the period of the records and the historical context that shapes documentary evidence over time.