A scope and content note tells a researcher what is actually in this body of records — the activities it documents, the document types present, the subjects and people covered, and the date span — in a way the title alone cannot. Write it after you understand the material, keep it factual rather than evaluative, and pitch the detail to the level: broad and functional at fonds level, specific at file or item level. The goal is to let someone decide, in 30 seconds, whether this material is worth requesting.

What exactly belongs in a scope and content note?

Four ingredients, in roughly this order:

1. Function or activity — what the creator was doing that generated these records (e.g. "documents the firm's tendering for civil-engineering contracts").
2. Document types / form — minute books, correspondence, plans, photographs, ledgers.
3. Subjects, people, places — the named entities and themes a researcher would search for.
4. Coverage and gaps — the date range, completeness, and notable absences.

Leave out: appraisal judgements ("an important collection"), provenance narrative (that belongs in administrative/biographical history), and access conditions (those have their own elements).

How do I match the note to the level of description?

A fonds-level note is functional and summarising; an item-level note is concrete and particular. Compare:

FONDS level:
  "Records of the Thornbury Engineering Co. documenting the design,
   tendering and construction of bridges and water-supply schemes in
   south-west England, 1886-1974. Includes minute books, contract
   ledgers, engineering drawings and site photographs."

FILE level:
  "Correspondence and survey notes relating to the Severn culvert
   contract, 1923-1925, including disputed measurements with the
   county surveyor."

ITEM level:
  "Signed contract for the Avonmouth pumping station, 14 March 1931."

Notice the file-level note adds something the fonds note could not — the dispute — and does not restate "Thornbury Engineering Co."

How do I write a good note step by step?

A repeatable workflow:

1. Survey first. Read enough of the material to know its shape. Do not write from the box list alone.
2. Draft the function sentence. One line: what activity produced this.
3. List document types you actually saw.
4. Pull 5–10 access points — names, places, subjects — that recur.
5. State the date span and gaps explicitly.
6. Cut evaluative language. Replace "fascinating" with the concrete fact that made it fascinating.
7. Read it cold the next day and remove anything implied by a higher level.

Where does it sit in ISAD(G), DACS and EAD?

It is ISAD(G) element 3.3.1 ("Scope and content") and DACS element 3.1. In EAD3 it encodes as:

<scopecontent>
  <p>Records of the Thornbury Engineering Co. documenting the design,
     tendering and construction of bridges and water-supply schemes in
     south-west England, 1886-1974. Includes minute books, contract
     ledgers, engineering drawings and site photographs.</p>
</scopecontent>

Keep one idea per <p>; aggregators and screen readers handle short paragraphs better than one dense block.

What are common mistakes to avoid?

• Box-list paraphrasing. "Box 1: letters. Box 2: more letters" is not a scope note.
• Marketing tone. Significance is for the researcher to judge from your facts.
• Repetition across levels — the single biggest source of bloated finding aids.
• Vague document types. "Various papers" tells the user nothing; name the genres.
• Silent gaps. If the 1940s are missing, say so.

Key Takeaways

• Cover four things: function, document types, named entities/subjects, and coverage with gaps.
• Pitch detail to the level — functional at fonds, specific at item — and never restate inherited context.
• Write after surveying the material, not from the box list.
• Keep it factual; significance is the researcher's call.
• It maps to ISAD(G) 3.3.1, DACS 3.1 and EAD <scopecontent>.
• State date spans and missing runs explicitly to save researchers wasted requests.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a scope and content note be?

It varies by level: a fonds-level note may run a full paragraph or two, while an item-level note can be a single sentence. Length follows the amount of distinct information the user needs, not a fixed word count.

What is the difference between a scope and content note and an abstract?

An abstract is a brief summary, usually one or two sentences, often used in MARC or for quick scanning. A scope and content note (ISAD(G) 3.3.1, DACS 3.1) is the fuller narrative covering function, document types, subjects and dates.

Should I repeat the title in the scope and content note?

No. The title already states the basic identity. The note should add what the title cannot: the activities documented, the form of the records, and the topics a researcher could not guess from the heading alone.

Can I describe what is NOT in the collection?

Yes, and you often should. Noting significant gaps, missing years, or records held elsewhere saves researchers wasted trips and sets honest expectations.

Where does the scope and content note go in EAD?

It is encoded in a <scopecontent> element, typically containing one or more <p> paragraphs, placed within the relevant <c> or <archdesc> component.

Do I need a scope and content note at every level?

Not necessarily. Write one wherever it adds information that is not implied by the higher level. Avoid restating inherited context; that is what multilevel description is designed to prevent.

Related reading

• How to Apply levels of description
• How to Describe correspondence series
• Best Practices to Arrange a fonds into series
• Troubleshooting: Encode finding aids in EAD