The survival of each nation is based on its ethical and cultural heritage, as is the cultural and historical guidance of any group. As a memorial, an archive provides illustrative evidence of the culture, civilization and identity of a country. Furthermore it forges links between past, present, and future. Archive is defined as an appropriately equipped center to which non-current records are sent after fulfilling their immediate purpose. These records are kept and preserved in order to provide a service for researchers and historians. In regard to the importance and role of national archives, the results] of comparative studies of the national archives of Iran, America, England and France are reported in this article. In conclusion, some suggestions are made based on these results, which could render the national archives ofIran more dynamic.
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