The Danish National Archives’ Research Plan

The current Research Plan brings together the Danish National Archives’ major and smaller research projects and outlines the institution’s research environment for the period 2026–2029.

The Plan also describes collaboration with Danish and international research institutions, as well as the institution’s strategic approach to research.

Denmark’s collective memory is also research infrastructure

The Danish National Archives is both a cultural heritage institution and a research institution. Its collections document the development of Danish society over the centuries and are used in research across a wide range of disciplines, including history, the humanities, the social sciences, health sciences, and data science.

The archival holdings range from medieval parchment manuscripts to digital data systems, enabling both traditional source-based studies of individual documents and large-scale analyses of extensive datasets.

Research with societal relevance

Research at the Danish National Archives examines both historical and contemporary societal issues. It contributes knowledge and insights into a range of topics, including:

• Greenland and the Danish Realm (the Kingdom of Denmark)
• democracy and societal development
• migration, minorities, and identities
• digitisation and datafication
• social mobility and education
• climate, wars, other crises, and historical change

Research based on the collections

Research at the Danish National Archives is founded on in-depth knowledge of the research potential of its collections. At the same time, its researchers develop methods for working with both analogue and digital archives.

Research is carried out in collaboration with Danish and international research communities and is supported through the national Finance Act appropriation as well as competitive research funding from foundations and other funding bodies.

A research environment with national and international partnerships

The Danish National Archives collaborates with universities, research institutions, and cultural heritage organisations in Denmark and internationally. Many research projects are developed through interdisciplinary partnerships with a focus on historical research, digital methods development, and archival science.

The research environment comprises senior researchers, researchers, and PhD fellows organised into subject-specific research teams.

International publishing and research dissemination

The Danish National Archives actively supports international scholarly publishing, conference participation, and the dissemination of research. Its researchers publish in academic books and peer-reviewed journals, while also communicating their research through the media, public lectures, and opinion articles, and by collaborating with public institutions and organisations.

Funding and research support

The Danish National Archives actively seeks external funding from foundations and other funding bodies in order to strengthen its research activities and develop new collaborations. It also supports doctoral research training in partnership with universities and research councils.

Unique data spanning from the twelfth century to the present day

The Danish National Archives preserves and provides access to data and archival records covering more than 900 years of Danish history. Its collections include handwritten, typewritten, and digital records created by public authorities, as well as private organisations and individuals. These collections provide researchers with documentation and datasets that support:

• historical analysis
• social science research
• health and register-based research
• digital humanities
• AI- and data-driven analysis
• commissioned analytical studies

Access, Guidance and Research Methods

Researchers and specialists at the Danish National Archives provide dedicated guidance to fellow researchers, students, and other users on which parts of the Archives’ collections and which research methods are best suited to addressing their specific research questions. This support covers both traditional archival research and research involving digital archives and data management.