ABSTRACT
Interpretation can be seen as a considered process of constructing and testing understandings, and as the communication of significance and value. But its communicative function is inseparable from a process of giving meaning and value which involves not only detailed historical knowledge, but also ways of working that themselves foster shared commitment to the heritage resource. Interpretation is founded on thorough evaluation of the resource, its connections and ramifications and the contexts of its making and use. It complements collection and conservation, not only in drawing out the significance and meaning of resources and their contexts, but also in compensating for absences. Its scope is also defined by the nature of the organisation, the objectives and construction of its communicative function.
