Prepared under contract with the International Council on Archives, this Records and Archives Management Programme (RAMP) study is designed to provide archivists, manuscript and museum curators, and other interested professionals with an understanding of the archival character of sound recordings and a set of guidelines for the appraisal of their archival value. The guidelines are based upon the most successful policies and procedures of those countries with the most extensive experience in the field of sound archives. Following a brief introduction, the study traces the history of sound recording and sound archives, provides a typology of sound recordings, and considers the particular and unique contribution of sound recordings to the general archival record. Records and collections management are also discussed, as well as archival policies and principles, with special reference to sound recordings and archives, and several practical examples of appraisal or selection policies in action are provided. Finally, the theories presented in the study are summarized, and guidelines are presented. In addition to a 162-item bibliography, a listing of 55 RAMP publications and related documents is provided. (KM)