Journal of the Society of Archivists

Journal of the Society of Archivists
Title	Journal of the Society of Archivists
Abbreviation	J. Soc. Archiv.
Discipline	Archival studies
Language	English
Publisher	Society of Archivists
Country	United Kingdom
History	1978–2010
Frequency	Quarterly
Issn	0143-6244

Contents

Journal of the Society of Archivists The Journal of the Society of Archivists was a quarterly peer‑reviewed periodical serving professionals associated with National Archives (United Kingdom), Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, British Library, Bodleian Library, and other repositories. It connected practitioners at institutions such as The National Archives (UK), Cambridge University Library, Oxford University Press, University of Edinburgh, and University of Glasgow with researchers from University College London, University of Liverpool, University of Manchester, University of Leeds, and University of Sheffield. The journal addressed issues relevant to custodians at National Records of Scotland, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Wellcome Library, Guildhall Library, and cultural bodies like English Heritage, Historic England, Imperial War Museums, and British Museum.

History

Established in 1978 by the professional body that later became the Society of Archivists, the journal emerged amid contemporaneous developments at UNESCO, International Council on Archives, Council of Europe, European Commission, and national reform movements tied to archives in the United Kingdom and abroad. Early editorial leadership included figures connected to Royal Historical Society, Society of Antiquaries of London, Institute of Historical Research, National Maritime Museum, and university departments at King's College London and Queen's University Belfast. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the journal intersected with debates involving Public Record Office, Records Management, Archive Service, and professional education initiatives at London Metropolitan University and University of London. Its run concluded in 2010 as the Society reorganized professional publications in response to trends seen at American Archivist, Archivaria, Archivum and other international journals influenced by digitization, standards set by ISO bodies, and policies at European Court of Human Rights and national legislatures.

The journal covered practical and theoretical issues touching on collecting policies at institutions such as Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum (London), National Portrait Gallery, and Tate Modern, as well as legal and administrative matters involving Freedom of Information Act 2000, Data Protection Act 1998, Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and international instruments like Berne Convention and TRIPS Agreement. Articles ranged from case studies at Lancashire Record Office, Surrey History Centre, Norfolk Record Office, and Cornwall Record Office to methodological pieces referencing archival projects at Bodleian Libraries, British Library, Wellcome Trust, National Library of Scotland, and National Library of Wales. Content included cataloguing and description practices linked to standards such as ISAD(G), ISAAR(CPF), EAD, and PREMIS, and treatments of digital preservation aligned with initiatives at Digital Preservation Coalition, JISC, Internet Archive, LOCKSS, and OCLC.

Published quarterly by the Society of Archivists, the journal maintained a peer review process drawing reviewers from organizations including International Council on Archives, Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers, British Records Association, Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland), and academic units at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Birmingham, University of York, and Durham University. Editorial boards featured professionals affiliated with National Archives (UK), Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, National Records of Scotland, Scandinavian archival services, Library of Congress, and National Archives and Records Administration. The journal's production involved copy editors, typesetters, and distribution channels used by Taylor & Francis, Routledge, Sage Publications, and other scholarly publishers serving library and information science communities.

The journal was abstracted and indexed in major bibliographic services alongside titles such as American Archivist, Archivaria, Archivum, Journal of Documentation, and Library Quarterly. Indexing platforms included databases maintained by ProQuest, EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science, and national library catalogues like British Library and Library of Congress. Subject indexing tied contributions to thesauri and classification schemes used by JISC Collections, National Information Standards Organization, and international metadata registries employed by UNESCO and European Commission research portals.

Within the professional communities represented by Society of Archivists, Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland), International Council on Archives, Association of Canadian Archivists, and Society of American Archivists, the journal was regarded as a key venue for practice‑oriented scholarship. It influenced policy debates involving Freedom of Information Act 2000, Data Protection Act 1998, Public Records Act, and archival standards such as ISAD(G) and EAD, and was cited in reports by National Archives (UK), Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Historic Scotland, and heritage bodies in the Republic of Ireland. Academics at University College London, University of Sheffield, University of Glasgow, University of Manchester, and University of Liverpool referenced its articles in monographs, conference proceedings at Royal Historical Society events, and training curricula offered by Archives and Records Association and continuing professional development providers.

The journal's role was later subsumed into the Society's revised publication strategy and paralleled by successor outlets including periodicals and online platforms run by Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland), practitioner newsletters from National Archives (UK), and international journals such as American Archivist, Archivaria, Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, and thematic series published by Routledge and Routledge Research. Its legacy is observable in contemporary editorial projects at Digital Preservation Coalition, JISC, International Council on Archives, UNESCO Memory of the World, and academic courses at University College London, University of Glasgow, and University of Oxford.

Category:Archival journals