Purpose Appraisal of records to separate the wheat (records of enduring value) from the chaff (ephemeral records) is one of the most important functions of the archives. In terms of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) Act (No. 43 of 1996) (the Act), “no public records may be transferred to an archives repository, destroyed, erased or otherwise disposed of without the written authorisation of the national archivist”. In implementing this section of the Act, the NARSSA issues a disposal authority, which emanates from the appraisal process explained in the policy guidelines of 2002. The purpose of the study is to analyse the appraisal policy guidelines on the approach of NARSSA in relation to preservation of digital records. Design/methodology/approach This study has used qualitative data obtained through content analysis and literature to review the appraisal policy guidelines and approach of NARSSA in relation to preservation of digital records. The 2002 approved appraisal policy, as well as the directives issued by NARSSA in terms of Section 13(4) of the Act, is examined to determine the criteria, the process and the methodology adopted in the appraisal of records. Content analysis data are augmented through interviews conducted in person with the head of the records management unit at NARSSA and the archivist responsible for appraisal of government records. Findings The study has established that, in terms of the approach, records are appraised two years after the implementation of records classification systems in governmental bodies and those of archival value are then transferred to an archives repository after a period of 20 years. Twenty years is a long period as records might be lost, especially in digital environments. Furthermore, the appraisal policy guidelines limit the powers of records managers in governmental bodies in deciding on records of enduring value, as this responsibility is assigned to archivists at NARSSA. It is clear that the policy was written with paper records in mind. Research limitations/implications This study may go a long way in influencing policy review to embrace appraisal of digital records in South Africa. This in turn will help in determining the feasibility of preservation technology for digital records. Originality/value This study is useful to ensure participation of the public in the appraisal process. This study has triangulated content analysis data with interviews to examine appraisal criteria, process and methodology, followed by NARSSA.

中文翻译：

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用风选叉将小麦与谷壳分离

目的评估记录以区分小麦（持久价值记录）和谷壳（短暂记录）是档案馆最重要的功能之一。根据南非国家档案和记录局（NARSSA）法（1996年第43号）（该法），“未经书面许可，不得将任何公共记录转移到档案库，不得销毁，删除或以其他方式处置。国家档案管理员的授权”。在实施该法案的这一部分时，NARSSA颁发了处置授权，该授权源自2002年政策指南中解释的评估过程。研究的目的是分析有关NARSSA与保存相关的方法的评估政策指南。数字记录。设计/方法/方法这项研究使用了通过内容分析和文献获得的定性数据，以评估NARSSA与数字记录保存相关的评估政策指南和方法。对2002年批准的评估政策以及NARSSA根据该法案第13（4）节发布的指令进行了审查，以确定记录评估所采用的标准，过程和方法。通过与NARSSA记录管理部门负责人和负责评估政府记录的档案保管员亲自进行访谈，可以增加内容分析数据。研究结果表明，就方法而言，在政府机构实施记录分类系统两年后，对记录进行评估，然后在20年后将具有存档价值的记录转移到档案库中。二十年是很长的时期，因为可能会丢失记录，尤其是在数字环境中。此外，评估政策指南限制了政府机构中的记录管理者在确定持久价值记录方面的权力，因为该职责分配给了NARSSA的档案管理员。显然，该政策是在考虑书面记录的情况下编写的。研究的局限性/意义这项研究在影响政策评估以评估南非的数字记录方面可能有很长的路要走。反过来，这将有助于确定数字记录保存技术的可行性。创意/价值这项研究对于确保公众参与评估过程很有用。这项研究将内容分析数据与访谈进行了三角剖分，以检查评估标准，过程和方法，然后是NARSSA。