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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 academic 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. Please be aware that some public records are held locally.

Freedom of Information logoFreedom of Information

Find out how Freedom of Information (FOI) has changed how records are made available to you, and how we respond to enquiries about the archives. You can make a Freedom of Information enquiry here

  

Dutch vesselFeatured documents

The National Archives' Maps, Plans and Drawings Team has made exciting discoveries. Check our list of featured documents.

List of featured documents


 
     
     
 

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:


For documents not held in The National Archives there are a number of other online catalogues. Go to search the archives to view all online aids

  

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:


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:

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

 

Record news

Useful information

 
 
 
 

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.
 

The National Archives provides access to documents and records held by us that are open for public inspection, and in doing so does not endorse, sanction, or approve the work or research of any individual or organisation.