In the context of information science, reparative description is the remediation of practices or data that exclude, silence, harm, or mischaracterize marginalized people in the data created or used by archivists to identify or characterize archival resources.

R1 — 🌐 Intersectional Tech Futures: Tech Literacy & Accessibility • Intersectionality in Archival Narratives: Reparative description ensures that the voices of historically marginalized communities are represented accurately, reflecting their intersectional experiences. This contributes to tech literacy by promoting materials that are inclusive and accessible to diverse audiences. • Accessible Terminology: By using culturally responsive and people-first language, reparative description makes archival materials approachable for non-expert audiences, aligning with goals of universal accessibility. • Digital Transformation: Revising harmful descriptions fosters trust and inclusivity in digital platforms, addressing the systemic biases often perpetuated in tech spaces. R2 — 🏚️ Harm Reduction in New Media • Repairing Legacy Harms: Revising outdated or harmful descriptions mitigates the perpetuation of harm in media and archival dissemination, directly addressing the emotional and cultural damage caused by oppressive narratives. • Community-Led Feedback: Engaging communities in shaping descriptive practices decentralizes institutional authority, empowering those most impacted by harmful descriptions to lead reparative processes. • Transparent Accountability: Disclaimers and contextual notes not only acknowledge past harms but also model an ethical practice for how new media platforms can address and rectify systemic inequities. R3 — 🌱 Data & Knowledge Stewardship • Ethical Stewardship: Reparative description aligns with the principles of responsible data governance by treating archival materials as living documents that require constant care, reflection, and collaboration with the communities they represent. • Contextualizing for Justice: Providing historical and cultural context for harmful descriptions emphasizes the importance of community-driven narratives in archival spaces. • Intersectional Leadership: By consulting historically excluded communities, reparative description practices shift power dynamics, allowing those communities to steward their own histories and narratives in archives.