Ljudarkivet som källa

En problemtaxonomi för ljudforskning

Abstract

Sweden was one of the first countries in the world to implement complete archiving of national mass media content. The result is a uniquely comprehensive collection of archived sound, growing exponentially by the day. Despite this, the audio archive remains underutilized. Against this background, the following article reflects on the issue: What are the fundamental problems of the sound archive as a source? The article summarizes the international research debate on sound archives and proposes a problem taxonomy for future research. The problems posed by recorded sound can be divided along the three Aristotelian categories of knowledge: techne, phronesis, and episteme. By sorting the multifaceted problems of the sound archive into these three categories, we can clarify and distinguish different obstacles, while studying their interrelationships. In this way, the article hopes to provide a basis for further interdisciplinary discussion on the subject, and to contribute to a revised status of archival sound.