Difficult to Document: The History of Physics and Allied Fields in Industrial and Government Labs

Abstract

Approximately thirty years ago archivists began formulating new models to guide archival collecting, creating a literature that continues to grow. In the mid-1980s, the introduction of the documentation strategy collection model put new emphasis on cooperation between repositories and among stakeholders. The model initially focused on the history of science, which has traditionally been poorly documented. Today, the documentation strategy model remains an essential tool in preserving the history of physics, astronomy, geophysics, and allied fields. The Center for History of Physics is using it to move beyond the records of academic science to develop strategies to preserve sources in the especially hard-to-document realms of government and corporate research.