Access to information in public archives: From theory to practice in the archive of the University of Coimbra, Portugal
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866901813474623488 |
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| author | Chaíça, Beatriz Marques do Paço Alves, Carolina Gouveia Reis Gomes, Liliana Isabel Esteves |
| author_facet | Chaíça, Beatriz Marques do Paço Alves, Carolina Gouveia Reis Gomes, Liliana Isabel Esteves |
| contents | <p><span>Archives<span> </span>have<span> </span>always<span> </span>been<span> </span>a<span> </span>fundamental<span> </span>resource<span> </span>for<span> </span>the<span> </span>State,<span> </span>institutions<span> </span>and<span> </span>citizens.<span> </span>In<span> </span>these<span> </span>information<span> </span>systems and<span> </span>services<span> </span>(Gomes,<span> </span>2019),<span> </span>the<span> </span>availability<span> </span>of<span> </span>any<span> </span>information<span> </span>support<span> </span>for<span> </span>consultation<span> </span>always<span> </span>depends<span> </span>on<span> </span>two elements: legal authorisation and the existence of archival finding aids (International Council on Archives, 2000). This study analyses the current archival legislation in Portugal, regarding access to information in public archives, and describes its applicability in the Archive of the University of Coimbra (AUC).</span><span> </span><span>The<span> </span>methodology<span> </span>adopted<span> </span>comprised the<span> </span>analysis<span> </span>of<span> </span>the<span> </span>legislation<span> </span>and<span> </span>a<span> </span>case<span> </span>study<span> </span>(Stake,<span> </span>2005;<span> </span>Yin,<span> </span><span>2014).</span></span><span> </span><span>The<span> </span>AUC<span> </span>is<span> </span>“the<span> </span>depository<span> </span>of<span> </span>the<span> </span>invaluable<span> </span>documentation<span> </span>produced<span> </span>and<span> </span>received<span> </span>by<span> </span>the<span> </span>University”.<span> </span>As<span> </span>a<span> </span>service, it was created organically in 1901 and, as an information system, it dates to 1290, the year that the king D. Dinis created the<span> </span>"Studium<span> </span>Generale",<span> </span>today<span> </span>the<span> </span>oldest<span> </span>University in Portugal.<span> </span>It<span> </span>also integrates<span> </span>the<span> </span>documental<span> </span>resources of the Coimbra District Archive, created in 1931 (Archive of the University of Coimbra, 2022a, b).</span><span> </span><span>The<span> </span>current<span> </span>legislation in<span> </span>Portugal<span> </span>determines<span> </span>the<span> </span>limits<span> </span>on<span> </span>the<span> </span>access<span> </span>and<span> </span>communicability<span> </span>of<span> </span>archival<span> </span>information, namely the following legal diplomas: Decree-Law No. 47/2004 and Act No. 26/2016.</span><span> </span><span>All<span> </span>documentation<span> </span>in<span> </span>the<span> </span>AUC<span> </span>is<span> </span>available<span> </span>to<span> </span>any<span> </span>citizen<span> </span>since<span> </span>the<span> </span>general<span> </span>principle<span> </span>of<span> </span>Free<span> </span>Access<span> </span>to<span> </span>documentation in public archives applies. However, we must point out the limitations on the access to certain documentation, resulting from the need to guarantee the preservation and conservation of the originals. In these circumstances the user is referred to the consultation exclusively in digital format, which is the case of the Catholic Church records - 1459-1911 (baptisms, marriages, and deaths), created by parishes in the district of Coimbra. At the AUC there are communicability restrictions on documentation from the following fonds: Criminal Police, Forensic Medicine and Notarial Archives (wills). All<span> </span>in all,<span> </span>this<span> </span>study<span> </span>allowed us<span> </span>to identify<span> </span>limitations<span> </span>to the<span> </span>communicability<span> </span>of<span> </span>information on<span> </span>which there<span> </span>are<span> </span>legal restrictions due to the existence of personal data, nominative data, and compliance with certain legal deadlines. Therefore, knowledge of the applicable legislation is essential for the information professionals / archivists.</span></p> |
| format | Recurso digital |
| id | zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_14901293 |
| institution | Zenodo |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Zenodo |
| record_format | zenodo |
| spellingShingle | Access to information in public archives: From theory to practice in the archive of the University of Coimbra, Portugal Chaíça, Beatriz Marques do Paço Alves, Carolina Gouveia Reis Gomes, Liliana Isabel Esteves access to information public archives archive of the University of Coimbra <p><span>Archives<span> </span>have<span> </span>always<span> </span>been<span> </span>a<span> </span>fundamental<span> </span>resource<span> </span>for<span> </span>the<span> </span>State,<span> </span>institutions<span> </span>and<span> </span>citizens.<span> </span>In<span> </span>these<span> </span>information<span> </span>systems and<span> </span>services<span> </span>(Gomes,<span> </span>2019),<span> </span>the<span> </span>availability<span> </span>of<span> </span>any<span> </span>information<span> </span>support<span> </span>for<span> </span>consultation<span> </span>always<span> </span>depends<span> </span>on<span> </span>two elements: legal authorisation and the existence of archival finding aids (International Council on Archives, 2000). This study analyses the current archival legislation in Portugal, regarding access to information in public archives, and describes its applicability in the Archive of the University of Coimbra (AUC).</span><span> </span><span>The<span> </span>methodology<span> </span>adopted<span> </span>comprised the<span> </span>analysis<span> </span>of<span> </span>the<span> </span>legislation<span> </span>and<span> </span>a<span> </span>case<span> </span>study<span> </span>(Stake,<span> </span>2005;<span> </span>Yin,<span> </span><span>2014).</span></span><span> </span><span>The<span> </span>AUC<span> </span>is<span> </span>“the<span> </span>depository<span> </span>of<span> </span>the<span> </span>invaluable<span> </span>documentation<span> </span>produced<span> </span>and<span> </span>received<span> </span>by<span> </span>the<span> </span>University”.<span> </span>As<span> </span>a<span> </span>service, it was created organically in 1901 and, as an information system, it dates to 1290, the year that the king D. Dinis created the<span> </span>"Studium<span> </span>Generale",<span> </span>today<span> </span>the<span> </span>oldest<span> </span>University in Portugal.<span> </span>It<span> </span>also integrates<span> </span>the<span> </span>documental<span> </span>resources of the Coimbra District Archive, created in 1931 (Archive of the University of Coimbra, 2022a, b).</span><span> </span><span>The<span> </span>current<span> </span>legislation in<span> </span>Portugal<span> </span>determines<span> </span>the<span> </span>limits<span> </span>on<span> </span>the<span> </span>access<span> </span>and<span> </span>communicability<span> </span>of<span> </span>archival<span> </span>information, namely the following legal diplomas: Decree-Law No. 47/2004 and Act No. 26/2016.</span><span> </span><span>All<span> </span>documentation<span> </span>in<span> </span>the<span> </span>AUC<span> </span>is<span> </span>available<span> </span>to<span> </span>any<span> </span>citizen<span> </span>since<span> </span>the<span> </span>general<span> </span>principle<span> </span>of<span> </span>Free<span> </span>Access<span> </span>to<span> </span>documentation in public archives applies. However, we must point out the limitations on the access to certain documentation, resulting from the need to guarantee the preservation and conservation of the originals. In these circumstances the user is referred to the consultation exclusively in digital format, which is the case of the Catholic Church records - 1459-1911 (baptisms, marriages, and deaths), created by parishes in the district of Coimbra. At the AUC there are communicability restrictions on documentation from the following fonds: Criminal Police, Forensic Medicine and Notarial Archives (wills). All<span> </span>in all,<span> </span>this<span> </span>study<span> </span>allowed us<span> </span>to identify<span> </span>limitations<span> </span>to the<span> </span>communicability<span> </span>of<span> </span>information on<span> </span>which there<span> </span>are<span> </span>legal restrictions due to the existence of personal data, nominative data, and compliance with certain legal deadlines. Therefore, knowledge of the applicable legislation is essential for the information professionals / archivists.</span></p> |
| title | Access to information in public archives: From theory to practice in the archive of the University of Coimbra, Portugal |
| topic | access to information public archives archive of the University of Coimbra |
| url | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14901293 |