ABOUT GOVERNMENT RECORDS DATABASE

AVAILABLE SECTIONS ON THIS PAGE:

1. HOW DO I SEARCH FOR GOVERNMENT RECORDS IN NAS' COLLECTION?

You may use the basic search feature and enter keywords relevant to your topic of interest. To define specific search parameters such as the agency whose records you wish to read, or a particular time period, use the Advanced Search feature.

2. HOW AND WHERE DO I READ RECORDS?

Listings that have a PDF logo can be read online. For other Government Records, a request has to be submitted. The National Archives of Singapore will liaise with the government agencies on your behalf for approval. Some files may be made available for viewing online, others at the Archives Reading Room (ARR) of the National Archives of Singapore at 1, Canning Rise, Singapore 179868.

3. HOW DO I SUBMIT AN E-REQUEST?

To submit an e-Request, please click on the “Request to View” button available at the Archives Online page of the specific record that you wish to view. This will add the record to your Cart. After selecting all the records that you wish to view, click on the “Cart” at the top navigation bar, and follow the steps to submit your order.

We will begin to process your request when we receive the further personal details required for Government Records.

Processing of Government Records may take upwards of 12 weeks.

4. DO I HAVE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE AFTER SUBMITTING AN E-REQUEST?

After you have submitted your e-Request, the e-Request system will send you an email acknowledging that we have received your request for Government Records and requesting further details. We will process your records and contact the file-owning agencies upon getting these details. These further details are required only for Government Records.

5. WHAT DETAILS MUST I PROVIDE IN MY E-REQUEST IF I AM A PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR OF/RESEARCH ASSISTANT FOR A RESEARCH GROUP?

The name(s) and particulars of the Principal Investigator(s) of a research group should be used for the submission of an e-Request. Please provide the name(s) of Research Assistant(s), if any, in the “Remarks” section.

6. WILL I BE NOTIFIED OF THE STATUS OF MY REQUEST?

Once an agency updates the National Archives of Singapore on the status of the record that you have requested, the system will send you an email.

Processing of Government Records may take upwards of 12 weeks depending on the availability of digitised records, the review process by the respective agencies in charge of the records, and the preparation of records for reading. We are unable to provide you with a status update at every stage of the process.

Some files may be made available for viewing online, others at the Archives Reading Room (ARR) of the National Archives of Singapore at 1, Canning Rise, Singapore 179868. While the ARR is open from 10am to 9pm daily, except Public Holidays, please note that full services, such as access to Digital Viewers (Restricted) and ARR duty officers, are only available on Mondays to Fridays (10am – 6.30pm). More information about visiting can be found here http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/faq.

7. WHY DOES IT TAKE UPWARDS OF 12 WEEKS TO PROCESS?

Files have to be converted from their original format to digital, enhanced for optimised viewing, then sent to agencies in charge of the records. The agencies will assess the file contents page by page. The files are then prepared for reading.

8. WILL I BE ABLE TO READ ALL THE RECORDS I REQUEST?

National Archives of Singapore facilitates requests for access to records. However, the final decision rests with the agency in charge of the records. The agency will decide whether the file(s) may be read, taking into account national security concerns, confidentiality obligations, and personal privacy.

After receiving the decision by the agency, the e-Request system will update you on the status of each file.

9. WILL I BE ABLE TO USE THE CONTENTS OF THE FILES THAT I AM PERMITTED TO READ?

Some files allowed for reading may require written permission for reproduction, citation and quotation.

For these files, complete the RCQ form, and email it to nas@nlb.gov.sg. Add supporting documents like drafts of the chapters and/or mock-ups to help show the use of the records in context. We will liaise with the government agencies on your behalf.

Records may contain data that is protected by the Personal Data Protection Act or other laws (collectively referred to as Personal Data), and access given does not constitute permission to use or disclose such data. If you come across any Personal Data, it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not reveal it without permission. If any use or revelation of Personal Data on your part breaches the Personal Data Protection Act or any other laws, you agree to remove such Personal Data from the public domain and you acknowledge that National Archives of Singapore may suspend or bar you from access to records or other archives.

10. HOW DO I REQUEST COPIES OF RECORDS THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE?

If the files are permitted for reproduction and you require a physical copy, please visit the Archives Reading Room to make printouts.

Printing charges:

*Price listed above are subjected to periodic reviews

We regret that at this time, the National Archives of Singapore does not have a document delivery service.

11. IS THERE ANY CHARGE FOR READING GOVERNMENT RECORDS?

There is no charge to read files at the Archives Reading Room.