ABSTRACT
Archival theory has long recognized that the context in which archives, manuscripts, and other primary source materials were created and used is a critical element in their faithful interpretation as evidence. They cannot be fully and accurately understood without understanding the environment and motivation that affected their creation and use. Bibliographic description, focusing primarily on the characteristics and content of the materials themselves, is simply insufficient. The evaluation of the authenticity of a primary source and its significance as evidence requires knowledge of the circumstances of its creation and existence, including an understanding of the roles, background, and environment in which its creator worked. This is essential and not auxiliary or supplemental knowledge. Competent historians and other researchers must arm themselves with this knowledge by extensive preparation in order to attempt a meaningful reading of documents and their placement in a web of evidence seeking to establish a hypothesis or explanation.
