provenance

relationship between records and the organization(s) or the individual(s) that created, accumulated, and/or maintained and used them in the conduct of personal or corporate activity

The organization or individual that created, accumulated, and/or maintained the documentary material in the conduct of business prior to their legal transfer to NARA. Note: The archival principle of provenance states that documentary material of the same provenance must not be intermingled with those of any other provenance.

the origin or source of a person, place, or thing, including its ownership and location over time; in archives work it is a principle that records are to be kept, arranged and described according to their origins, and that the records from one functional unit, office, agency, institution, or other corporate entity shall not be intermixed or confused with those of another so as not to destroy the intended functional relationships (context) among the records. Damage to or destruction of provenance damages or destroys the evidential integrity of a record or groups of records. See also continuous custody.

Means the office or agency of origin that created the records, which were created and received in the course of business.

The geographical and/or genetic origin of an individual.