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Archives of International Organisations based in Geneva

Guide listing the institutional archives of international organisations based in Geneva, supplemented with a few tips for searching for documents.

Some Tips

Tips

Understanding the Primary Sources Produced by International Organisations

International organisations produce different types of primary sources. All of them can be used for research, although understanding their distinct characteristics is essential:

  • "Official Documents" 

This broad category encompasses materials produced by governing bodies, conferences, and committees. These may include meeting minutes, resolutions, decisions, official correspondence, amendments, and formal reports. Official documents typically bear symbols indicating the issuing body, meeting, or decision reference. While access is sometimes restricted, they are generally public records maintained by libraries of international organisations.

  • Publications - Published materials issued by international organisations.

This category includes official reports, statistical compilations, reviews, specialized studies, journals, yearbooks, and books. These publications usually carry ISBN or ISSN identifiers and are typically managed by libraries of international organisations. Today, they are increasingly accessible through online platforms.

  • Archives 

This category consist of paper-based and electronic records preserved for their administrative, fiscal, legal, historical, or informational value. Unlike publications and official documents, archival materials remain unpublished and encompass diverse formats: textual documents (such us correspondence, memoranda, notes, draft reports and speeches), photographs, audio recordings, films, oral history projects, posters, and maps.

Before your research:
  • Develop a research question

It is easy to get lost in the archives, so it is strongly recommended that you reflect on what you want to investigate before beginning your research. Your research question serves as your compass: it should be precise enough to orient your research while remaining flexible enough to evolve as you encounter new material.

  • Consult the catalogue

Review the catalogue to understand what materials are available and in what formats (documents, audio-visual materials, posters, maps, recordings, etc.). This will help you identify relevant fonds, series, and collections, as well as potential search terms related to your research, such as specific terminology, names, dates, or decisions. Consulting the catalogue will also help familiarize yourself with the structure of the archives, the classification system, and reference numbers.

  • Check access restrictions

Access policies vary among international organisations, with restrictions ranging from 20 to 70 years. Some material might be submitted to special consultation rules, require special authorizations, or be restricted.

  • Check language requirements

Depending on the type of archives, material may be available in different languages. Consider if language can represent a barrier for your research.

  • Plan in advance

Archival research can be time-consuming. Do not wait until the last minute to start your research. In some case, archival materials may require special authorization to be consulted or are not stored onsite. Some archive services also limit the number of boxes that can be ordered per day. When you plan your research, be aware that visiting the archives can easily take at least half a day.

  • Check the calendar:

before planning to go in the archives, consult the official calendar. International organisations observe both local and international bank holidays. Moreover, reading rooms may be exceptionally closed for other reasons. 

  • Access procedures

​​​​​​​ verify where the entrance to access the archives is located. Visitors’ entrance might differ from the main entrance. Remember to bring a valid ID. Today, most of the international organisations’ archives require scheduling an appointment and registering for access ahead of your visit.

  • Contact the archivists

​​​​​​​always contact or talk the archivists before beginning your research. In some cases, it is compulsory. Most of the archives are open by appointment only (and you need to provide as short description of your research). In some cases, archivists can share in advance material (such as inventories) that might not be available online. Finally, they can also suggest material that you have not considered at first.

During your research:
  • Be strategic
    Capturing all the data you think might be relevant is one way of doing archival research, but another is to spend time thinking about what to capture. 
     
  • Be systematic
    After a long day in the archives, you will probably not even remember your name. Collect the information systematically through notes, photographs, or other methods authorised by the archives services and make sure that you can retrieve both the information and the reference later. Take note of the material you did not look at (explaining the reason you consider it was not relevant).
After your research
  • Plan in advance (again)

According to your research, going through your notes and your photographs can be time-consuming.

  • Data management

Consider carefully how yo the data you have collected from the archives. Consider if you need a long-term plan for storage (maybe for future projects). If you intend to delete the data, remember that deleting files is only the first step, and you will need to dispose of any confidential and sensitive data thoroughly, potentially through specialised software or safely disposing of any physical copies you have made.

Our libguide on Research Data Management can help you with this step. 

  • Citation

Each archive has a different reference system. Consult the finding aids or ask an archivist how the material you are searching can be cited.

  • Courtesy

Archives services normally demand to be notified of the publications based on their resources. Do not forget to inform them when your work is published and, if possible, to share a copy.

Visit our Library courses page to find trainings on citations, research data management and so on. 

Photo by Catarina Carvalho on Unsplash

Basic terms you should know about archives.

Normally, you start your research by consulting a catalogue or an inventory.

  • Catalogue: It is a description of a set of records arranged in a hierarchical list that reflects the way the records were created. It helps navigate the archives and might include information such as the provenance of the item, dates of creation, a physical description, some relevant administrative or biographical history, and any conditions of access. 
  • Inventory: it is a descriptive listing of each record series or system, together with an indication of location and other pertinent data.

Archives are hierarchically structured.

  • Fonds: consists of the records generated by an entity: organisation, body, office, mission.
  • Series: is a group of similar records or records related to each other, often by function, activity, or because they have the same form.
  • File unit: a group of items related by use or topic, typically housed in a folder.
  • Item: indicates the document (for instance a draft report or a letter).

Collection: is a group of archives assembled by an archivist. In other terms, a collection is not directly created by an organisation or a person.