We believe that archives should mean something to everyone. The archive can be an institution that helps us both understand and shape our own wellbeing and social identity. It can be a place where stories come to life, and where our users are fully empowered, including by the latest technological tools, to research our collection.

Our priorities are:

  1. How do we advance interdisciplinary scholarship in medical and health humanities, and realise the archive’s contribution to health, wellbeing and place?
  2. How can we use human-computer interaction (HCI), emerging technologies and other digital scholarship approaches to empower the widest-possible audience of archive users?
  3. How do the material and visual histories of our collection enhance our collective understanding of our shared history?
  4. How do we actively engage different audiences and research communities in impactful ways, maintaining a reflexive and inclusive approach to research practice, engagement and development?
  5. National infrastructure: realising the economic and social value of The National Archives and the wider archives sector.

Read the Research Vision 2024-27

Want to get involved with our Research Vision?

Contact us if you would like to work with us to explore any of the research questions or challenges above.