ISAD(G)

The General International Standard Archival Description, abbreviated as ISAD(G), defines the elements that should be included in an archival finding aid. It was approved by the International Council on Archives (ICA) as an international standard for registering archival documents produced by corporations, persons and families. ISAD(G) defines a list of elements and rules for the description of archives, and describes the kinds of information that should be included in such descriptions. It creates a hierarchy of description that determines what information should be included at what level. ISAD(G) follows four general principles: multilevel description, information relevant to the level of description, linking of descriptions, and non-repetition of information. Multilevel description starts from a general level of description, which is usually the fonds, and proceeds to more detailed levels, such as the subfonds, the series, the file, and the item. This hierarchical structure must be represented and properly defined in the archival description. Information in each level of description must be related only to the archival unit described in that level. Every archival unit must be linked to its parent level within the hierarchy, and its level must be made explicit. To avoid repetition, general information common to a group must be declared in the highest level possible.