Standards and Guidelines

Meeting professional standards greatly benefits your organization. It helps your credibility when you apply for grants and increases your standing in the eyes of visitors and other stakeholders. Currently, standards and guidelines exist for the practice of history in the areas below. Click through to learn more about them.

Archaeology

Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation: http://www.cr.nps.gov/local-law/arch_stnds_0.htm

Society for American Archaeology's Principles of Archaeological Ethics: http://www.saa.org/AbouttheSociety/PrinciplesofArchaeologicalEthics/tabid/203/Default.aspx

Archives

Society of American Archivists' Standards Portal: http://www.archivists.org/standards

Conservation and Preservation

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice: http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageID=858&nodeID=1
Caring for Your Treasures: http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=497

Digitization

Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS)/National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Framework for Building Good Digital Collections: http://framework.niso.org

Genealogy

Board Certification for Genealogists and the BCG Genealogical Standards Manual: http://www.bcgcertification.org/resources/standard.html

Historical Societies and Museums

Standards and Excellence Program (StEPs) of the American Association for State and Local History: http://aaslh.org/steps.htm

Historic Preservation

Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation: http://www.cr.nps.gov/local-law/arch_stnds_0.htm

History Scholarship

American Historical Association's Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct: http://www.historians.org/pubs/Free/ProfessionalStandards.cfm

Museums

American Association of Museums' Characteristics of Excellence for U.S. Museums: http://www.aam-us.org/aboutmuseums/standards/upload/Characteristics-of-Excellence-reg-and-pe.pdf

Oral History

Oral History Association's Principles and Best Practices: http://www.oralhistory.org/do-oral-history/principles-and-practices