Cabinet Papers project

The ability to search Cabinet records for keywords and phrases makes the Cabinet Papers resource an invaluable research tool, enabling a wide range of new users - including A level students, undergraduate and graduate researchers and the general public - to engage with the raw material of 20th century British political history. Whether onsite at The National Archives in Kew or online, all users are now able to access this resource (see <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/cabinetpapers.asp>).

The resource contains tools designed specifically for A level students, providing them with access to a large amount of content relevant to the current national curriculum syllabus, as well as support, interactive tools, video clips and pictures. The maps section, for example, enables students to follow geopolitical changes over the 20th century using colour maps and images scanned from the original documents. Another important tool is the dynamic writing framework, which helps students learn how to study and evaluate primary sources and how to structure essays around central themes and arguments.

The Higher Education section of Cabinet Papers covers over 100 topical essays written and peer-reviewed by leading academic historians, providing students with an authoritative introduction to the subject area and encouraging them to undertake their own research. Each training 'package' - which students and lecturers can select according to the focus of specific courses - is associated with a photograph, a poster or a cartoon, making Cabinet Papers a comprehensive visual snapshot of the 20th century, as well as a unique research training resource.

The National Archives is committed to maintaining Cabinet Papers and providing free access at the point of use for ten years for A level students, five years for Further and Higher Education users, and 18 months for general users.