Practical Archival Skills Training: Introduction to Foreign Office Records

At The National Archives you can access Foreign Office records that were once working documents including correspondence from diplomats, policy discussions, research papers, maps and international treaties. Our collections offer unique scope in global history from the perspective of the British government, however, many of these records are not easy to find via keyword searches in our catalogue. Efficient research requires developing an understanding of former bureaucratic practices in the Foreign Office, the structure of government, and how these have impacted the organisation of the archive today.

This workshop will focus on researching using our collections effectively. This includes:

Part 1 (online on Microsoft Teams/half day 23rd April)

· Tips and tricks for using our online catalogue, Discovery, effectively

· Insight into the ways in which records at The National Archives mirror the structures and activities of government departments

· Overview of some key document types in our international record collections

· Exploring what research into international collections can currently be carried out online (without visiting our reading rooms)

Part 2 (onsite/full day 28th April)

· An introduction to the processes of ordering and handling documents and using the reading room

· Looking at key records and record-keeping practices as reflected in the archive

· Working with the indexes and registers (registry systems) that are required to navigate Foreign Office correspondence records from 1782-1960.

This workshop is part of The National Archives PAST (Practical Archival Skills Training) programme. It is designed to be valuable for researchers and practitioners in any field who are interested in British diplomatic history and international relations.

This includes those who have never worked with archives before, and those who have previous experience but wish to improve their archival research skills and understanding of the collections.

Please note: it is necessary to attend the half-day online session to get the full benefit of the workshop.

Both the online and the onsite components are included in the cost of this ticket, you don’t need to book them separately.

If you only wish to attend the online component of the workshop please book here instead:

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