This series begins with notes and drawings which reflect Hackman's earliest ideas on documentation strategies, followed by writings and presentations on the subject. The development of his ideas are indicated in folders on presentations, especially the presentations that Helen Samuels and he made at the SAA Annual Meeting in September 1984, the presentation to Bentley Mellon Fellows in the summer of 1985, and the presentation at the NAGARA annual meeting in July 1986. There are several folders on his participation with documentation initiatives and his research and drafts for his 2009 article in the American Archivist titled "The Origins of Documentation Strategies in Context: Recollections and Reflections."

An additional folder on the evolution of this article is in series 5; there are also folders on some other writings and presentations on documentation issues during this period. Throughout this period there are many exchanges of views on documentation with Helen Samuels. There are also several folders on Hackman's participation with committees and working groups on documentation initiatives.