General framework[edit]
Similar in structure to AACR2,[4] RAD provides archivists with a framework for generating archival descriptions and finding aids. It is a multi-level descriptive metadata standard structured to reflect the context of a group of records based on the manner in which they were created, used, and managed.[5][6]
RAD takes a top-down approach to archival description,[7] beginning with a general description of the records at the fonds-level and becoming more specific as description progresses at lower levels.[5] Completed descriptions vary in depth, but often include a biographical sketch about the creator of the records, information about the physical extent of the material, and an overview – in the form of a scope and content note – about what the archival fonds consists of.[8][9]