What type of records does Electronic Records Online hold?
This service holds electronic records from United Kingdom government departments, including the records of a number of high-profile public inquiries, departmental websites, and the records of parliamentary committees and royal commissions. These records can exist in an enormous variety of formats including word-processed documents, applications, databases, virtual-reality models and audio-visual material.
How do I find a record?
There are two ways to find a record; search and browse. Both these options are explained in detail on the Help pages.
What is a digital record?
A digital record is information that is created and stored electronically. An electronic medium can comprise of one or many formats, which come in various types and are usually associated with different software products. For example, a record may consist of a simple text file, a program, a database and/or an entire website.
Where are the digital records stored?
The National Archives' digital records are stored in our Digital Archive. The Digital Archive is an electronic repository for storing digital records, created by The National Archives and launched in April 2003.
Troubleshooting
Why can't I view a particular record?
Sometimes the record you wish to view cannot be shown. There are two main reasons for this:
The record is closed, which means it has been assessed as containing material that is not suitable for public viewing at this time. You may place a formal Freedom of Information request and we will review whether it can be made available.
Technical implications and large file sizes mean some records simply cannot be presented online. In these cases, you may request a copy of the record to be sent to you. This version of the record may require special software to be set up on your PC. If you have any special requirements relating to the record you wish to order, please enter these in the 'Additional Information' section in the Request copy form. We cannot guarantee that your computer has the ability to view any or all of the file formats held as records in the Digital Archive.
Why are some references missing?
Electronic Records Online only presents the electronic records held by The National Archives. The Catalogue contains information on our holdings of non-digital records. Check the Catalogue for any missing references.
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