Joseph Anderson, American Institute of Physics
When the Joint Committee on Archives of Science and Technology (JCAST) published its final report in 1983, it noted that “the state of documentation of science and technology in industry is a cause of great concern. . . .” The Committee (which was composed of representatives from SHOT, HSS, the Society of American Archivists, and the Association of Records Managers and Administrators) pointed out that “two-thirds of the practicing scientists and engineers employed in R&D are engaged in industrial research.” However, the Committee also stated that none of the groups represented had enough information about industrial R&D records to recommend any course of action.
Today, 24 years later, things remain pretty much the same. However, a research project that the American Institute of Physics began four years ago is beginning to shed some light on what is, and what is not, being done to preserve the record of industrial research and development at 15 major high tech companies. Based on over 130 interviews with physicists, managers, archivists, technical librarians, and records managers in the companies’s central R&D laboratories, they confirm a number of assumptions but reveal some unexpected findings as well. For example, as we knew, only a few companies have their own in-house archives even within this elite grouping, and when they exist industrial archives are volatile, expanding or downsizing according to economic cycles, business strategies, or the whim of top management. Similarly, we’ve confirmed that industrial archives usually focus on documenting business and financial functions at the expense of research and development. However, unexpectedly, we have found that a few of the companies in our sample have transferred some historical records to public archives. We’ve also found that some companies preserve research records like laboratory notebooks and reports permanently in records management programs.
As expected we’re finding that electronic media is having a big impact on the records that are produced and saved, although some of the results seem counterintuitive. To cite a few examples:
- electronic records are reducing or eliminating the use of lab notebooks in some companies,
- PowerPoint and other similar programs may be dumbing down R&D reports, substituting graphics for data,
- most researchers can retrieve their email for only the past couple years, and
- legal advice varies between saving and destroying records, depending on the outcome of the company’s last major legal battle.
This paper will discuss these and other findings and will present preliminary recommendations for preserving historically valuable R&D records.