Le Centre d'Information de la Recherche historique en France

Abstract

In 1951 Charles Braibant, then director general of the Archives de France, stressed the need for a periodical report which would present research at its source long before its publication. To that end, the Centre d'Information de la Recherche historique en France was founded at the Palais Soubise on May 1, 1951. The documentation produced by the Centre is published in its Bulletin, which is designed to inform historians of possible fields of fruitful study offered by the various archival series and their corresponding research tools such as inventories, as well as of current investigations undertaken by others, particularly in connection with theses and doctoral dissertations. These surveys also reveal the general orientation of historical research in France for a given period, in itself a significant contribution to the study of history. The rich collections of France's Archives nationales are attracting an increasing number of scholars, including American historians who come to Paris to study not only the relations of their country with France but also subjects pertaining to French and general history. In addition, the repositories of departmental archives and of central administrations such as the various ministries are often consulted by French and foreign scholars. Most French educational institutions publish documentation of their research projects. The institutes of the various faculties and the departments of the Ecole pratique des Hautes Etudes, for example, issue journals or yearbooks which include lists of research projects. The role of the Centre d'Information Bulletin is to cover all such reports and to present them in a single methodical volume. The ten main divisions-social sciences related to history; foreign history, international relations, and emigration; French history by periods; regional history; economic history; social history; administrative, institutional, and juridical history; history of religions; history of