Institute of Historical Research (IHR), London
Contact the IHR:
University of London e-mail: ihr.reception@sas.ac.uk website: http://www.history.ac.uk |
The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is one of 10 member Institutes of the School of Advanced Study, University of London. Founded in 1921, the Institute is home to three important research centres and a major open access library, hosts over 50 seminar series and offers doctoral supervision in a wide range of historical subjects. It has a substantial publishing programme, including the journal Historical Research, hosts a number of innovative digital research projects, administers Fellowships, runs specialist research training programmes and organises a variety of conferences and workshops each year.
Library
The IHR’s library holds c.177,000 items and takes over 300 current periodicals. The core of the library is a comprehensive collection of the chief printed primary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles and Western Europe, their colonial expansion, the subsequent history of North and South America, international relations and war. Very substantial holdings of bibliographies, archival guides, works of methodology and reference works support the printed sources, with biographical sources a particular strength.
Research centres
Centre for Contemporary British History (CCBH) – the Centre developed out of the Institute of Contemporary British History, which was founded in 1986 to promote the study of recent past. CCBH hosts a regular programme of conferences, lectures and seminars, as well as managing a range of research projects.
Centre for
Metropolitan History (CMH) – Established in 1988, in collaboration with the Museum of London
and other organisations, the Centre for Metropolitan History fulfils a
long-standing need in London.
It promotes the study and wide appreciation of London's
character and development from its beginnings to the present day, and is
concerned to set the history of London
in the wider context provided by knowledge of other metropolises.
Victoria
County History (VCH) – Founded in 1899
and originally dedicated to Queen Victoria,
the VCH is an encyclopaedic record of England’s places and people from
earliest times to the present day. Based at the IHR since 1932, the VCH is
written by historians working in counties across England.
Publications
The IHR
Publications Department is responsible for a wide range of print and digital
publications designed to facilitate the research of historians.
Print publications
include:
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Historical Research, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the IHR, is one of the UK’s leading generalist history journals.
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Annual publications: Teachers of History, Historical Research for Higher Degrees in the UK, pts. I & II and Grants for History.
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The Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae sereis, a directory of the higher clergy of the Church of England from 1066 to 1857
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A series of guides and handbooks jointly published with The National Archives, including Administering the Empire: a Guide to the Records of the Colonial Office in TNA (2008).
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Individual titles arising from IHR events and collaborations, including History and Philanthropy (2008) and The Creighton Century (2009).
Digital
publications include:
· British History Online, the digital library of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and early modern history of Britain (http://www.british-history.ac.uk)
· The Royal Historical Society Bibliography of British and Irish History Online (http://www.rhs.ac.uk/bibl/dataset.asp)
· Reviews in History (http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/).
· Making History, which examines the development of the discipline over the past century through articles, interviews etc (http://www.history.ac.uk/makinghistory/).
· History On-line, which combines bibliographic material with information about research and teaching, and online resources for historians (http://www.history.ac.uk/search/welcome.html).