Encoded Archival Description, EAD
Updated 2026-08-13
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) is a standardized markup format in XML used to describe archival materials and their hierarchical structure, from collection down to item. The core claim is that a shared descriptive language makes archival records discoverable and exchangeable across institutions. The key qualification is that EAD is a structural descriptive standard, not a general-purpose metadata schema and not a content standard by itself.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Describe archives in layers: encode the collection, series, and item levels in a single record. - Enable cross-repository search: share one common format so that all finding aids interoperate. - Preserve hierarchy: keep the parent-child structure of the fonds clearly visible in the encoding.
Anchor fast decisions
An archive's finding aid is a hierarchy, and XML elements can mirror that hierarchy exactly; when every repository encodes the same structure with the same tags, a search can traverse collections across institutions, and descriptions can be merged and exchanged without loss of meaning.
MINIMUM ACTION
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encoded_Archival_Descriptionverified
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