We have a series of animated guides to help you get the most out of your research and The National Archives' website. Select the relevant guide below to discover how an archive works and how you can make your research as effective as possible.
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Understand how records are arranged to help save you time and make your research more productive.
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Discover more about the journeys our documents have made before reaching The National Archives and how they may be useful for many different types of research today.
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Learn how to browse or search our document catalogue to find the records you are looking for.
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Find out how to copy, order and view the documents held by The National Archives and how to access popular records online.
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Find out where to look when you first start your research, and how to assemble and organise your findings to get better results.
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Discover how to record all your results effectively so that you can find useful information again in the future.
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