Identification of Occupational and Professional Competencies of Iranian Archivists

Method and Research Design: This study is developmental in purpose and qualitative in method. The research population consisted of experts and professional archivists. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants selected using purposive snowball sampling. The interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. To ensure the credibility and trustworthiness of the findings, the coding and data analysis procedures were comprehensively documented and presented in both textual and visual formats.
Findings and Conclusion: The results revealed that archivists are expected to possess competencies across three principal levels and six associated dimensions: Level 1: Basic Competencies, including Communication and Service Delivery Skills (e.g., researcher interaction, information services, understanding research needs, professional public relations, persuasion and negotiation skills, job commitment, and flexibility) and Personal Traits and Professional Ethics (e.g., patience and resilience, professional confidentiality, intrinsic motivation, professional conscience, oral history ethics, national commitment, discipline, and work ethic); Level 2: Technical Competencies, including Archival Specialized Knowledge (e.g., document analysis, paleography, codicology, librarianship, knowledge of historical figures, mastery of contemporary history, and familiarity with archival and multimedia sources), Technological Competence (e.g., IT proficiency, knowledge of digitization, familiarity with digital systems, mastery of information software, internet literacy, and library and archival software skills), and Procedural Competencies (e.g., document evaluation and refinement, socially responsive classification, indexing and data extraction, resource organization, document validation, interview data indexing, scientific documentation, and comparative data analysis); and Level 3: Managerial Competencies, comprising Strategic and Archival Activity Management Competencies (e.g., archival process management, planning and scheduling, professional supervision, and organizational coordination).
Furthermore, archival centers are expected to apply the findings of this research to support the professional development of archivists and to prevent the loss of human and financial resources. Identifying the occupational and professional competencies of archivists not only contributes to enhancing their performance but also helps strengthen their social standing and professional legitimacy. In turn, this serves as a key instrument for improving information and records management within organizations and for fostering the sustainable development of the archival profession. Based on the findings, the comprehensive occupational and professional competencies of the contemporary archivist constitute a complex and multidimensional combination of specialized (hard) knowledge, procedural and technological skills, communication abilities, personal traits (soft skills), and the management and leadership of archival activities. In essence, this research seeks to fill the gap by proposing a comprehensive, coherent, and reliable model for defining the required competencies within the archival profession in Iran. This framework can serve as practical guidance for the professional growth and advancement of archivists. By developing and precisely defining these competencies, archivists will gain clear and acceptable standards and motivations, ultimately benefiting organizations and society as the primary beneficiaries of archival services.