Student archivistics: The contribution of Master of Archival Studies theses to archival professional literature

Setting a research agenda for archival studies is a notoriously difficult exercise when the very existence of archival science is questioned. As a contribution to demonstrating the need for theory to guide the creation of professional archival literature, the thesis literature of the University of British Columbia's Master of Archival Studies Programme is reviewed. It is suggested that a deductive framework, centred on two knowledge areas--the record and archival administration--combined with emphases on theory, method, and practice, can provide a scientific template by which to explain the School's research agenda. Such a template may also be of use in guiding the research agendas for professional archival journals.