The Burke-Cappon Debate: Some Further Criticisms and Considerations for Archival Theory

In two recent American Archivist articles, Frank G. Burke and Lester J. Cappon explored the notion of archival theory and produced a fundamental disagreement over the nature and role of theory in the archival field. This article further examines the possibilities of archival theory within the context of that debate. Three theoretical positions emerge from this discussion. The first is archival theory as universal laws or models, based on the study of archives in the context of other social institutions, as propounded by Burke. The second theoretical position discussed is archival theory analyzed in its historical development, with emphasis on the intellectual traditions which directed the formation of theory. The final theoretical position discussed is that of Cappon, who rejected both of the above approaches to archival theory.