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Academic researchAcademic research - your guide to resources
 
 
 
 

Where to start your research

Whether you are a student, teacher, or are engaged in in-depth private study we can help you with your research both on site and online.

The National Archives holds the government or 'public' records of the United Kingdom, England and Wales. We hold some private papers such as those of Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald. We also maintain the National Register of Archives which has information on British historical resources that are held elsewhere.

You should be aware that some public records are held locally.
 
     
 

Where to start your research

  
 

Online

To discover what records are held here you should consult our online catalogue. It holds over nine million record descriptions. Note that the Catalogue:

  • Lists records by the government department that created them rather than by subject
  • Provides administrative histories of government departments
  • Tells you if a record is closed, in which case you can write to the relevant departmental record officer for further advice
Go to the Catalogue

 

Other good places to start are:

  • Our research guides (indexed by subject) Go
  • Our lifelong learning site Pathways to the Past for online exhibitions, resources and guidance Go
  • Our online catalogue of books in our library which contains many works that use sources from The National Archives Go

 

For documents not held in The National Archives there are a number of other online catalogues more

 

At The National Archives

You can:

  • Use our online catalogues and facilities
  • Use the National Register of Archives
  • Visit the library
  • View up to three original documents at a time
  • Visit our bookshop which has a wide variety of history books and our own publications

 

If you intend to visit us you can look at our website to find out about:

  • Opening hours and closure dates more
  • How to obtain a reader's ticket more
  • What to bring with you more
  • How to plan your visit more

 

You do not need a letter of introduction or make an appointment, but you do need some form of identification.

 

If the items you want are not already available online and you cannot visit us, you can:

  • Order copies of documents more
  • Employ an independent researcher more

 

Locally

Manuscripts and records of all kinds relating to British history are found in local record offices, libraries, museums, universities, institutions overseas and many are still privately owned. Many of these records can be traced through the National Register of Archives. Through its structure of indexes it is possible to locate, for example, the records of individuals, societies, churches or businesses, together with details of how to get access to these records. The indexes to the National Register of Archives also contain links to online finding aids when available.

 

The related ARCHON Directory contains contact and access details of over 3,000 repositories in the United Kingdom and overseas, with links to their websites where these are available.

 

Your university or local library might hold lists or calendars (short descriptions) of our records. They may be listed in the library catalogue under our old name, the Public Record Office. They might also hold the reports of the Historical Manuscripts Commission, but these do not deal with our material.

 
 

Services to academics

 

  • Academic inductions, particularly for postgraduate students, held both on site and regionally Go
  • Document workshops for undergraduate students Go
  • Conferences, events, exhibitions and seminars Go
  • Academic publications more
  • The medieval and early modern records information service (MEMRIS) more
  • Partnerships with other academic institutions more

Useful information

 

  • Selection policy (how the The National Archives and government departments decide which records are to be kept) more
  • Operational selection (how the selection policy is put into place)more
  • Copyright more
  • Citation of The National Archives documents more
  • Advanced and bulk orders more
  • Record copying more
  • Image library Go
 
 
 

Future development of academic services

We are keen to hear how we can give more help to academics and researchers. Please contact usMailto with your ideas.