Cengage Learning and Chatham House launch online archive on international affairs

June 10, 2014 - PRLog -- Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading publisher of research and education resources for libraries, schools and businesses, and Chatham House, the world-leading international affairs think tank, today announced the launch of the Chatham House Online Archive (1920-2008). ’This unique digital archive features almost a century of research, ideas and debate that shaped and informed policy on international and current affairs.  With Module 1: 1920-1979  available now and the launch of Module 2: 1980-2008 in June, the archive will bring over half a million pages of independent and rigorous analysis to the desktops of Government Ministries, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), corporations, researchers and students studying politics, international law, international relations and international economics.

The archive provides fully-searchable texts of speeches, and from 1966, audio recordings with new transcripts given by key figures in international affairs including Mahatma Gandhi, Willy Brandt, King Hussein of Jordan, François Mitterrand and Henry Kissinger – many available for the very first time.

Featuring leading research on Energy, Environment and Resources, International Economics, International Security, Area Studies and International Law, the archive includes subject-indexed briefing papers, special reports, pamphlets and monographs. It also contains conference papers such as those from the British Commonwealth Relations conferences, copies of the Chatham House Annual Reports and the full text of two of the flagship publications produced by Chatham House: International Affairs and the monthly The World Today.

Users can undertake multi-level searches on terms such as author, region and topic, which enable them to readily locate speech or meeting transcripts and related articles to gain an in-depth view of a topic or an issue. Examples of notable speeches featured in the archive include “Is Pluralistic Democracy Suitable for Moslem States? The Case of Pakistan” (Benazir Bhutto, 1985), “Present Prospects and Problems of Nuclear Power” (Hans Blix, 1986), “South Africa: An Address” (F W De Klerk, 1991), “Challenges Facing the UN” (Jack Straw MP, 2004) and “China and the World Balance in 21^st Century” (Lord Rees-Mogg, 2000).

The archive is an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to understand how, in an international context, the past continues to inform and influence present and future decisions. It offers extensive coverage of 20^th century events including the end of colonialism as detailed in Harold Nicolson’s article "The Colonial Problem" (International Affairs, 1938). Other events and issues covered include the development of communism and the Cold War, a topic explored by Arnold Toynbee in "A Turning-Point in the Cold War?" (International Affairs, 1950) and security as featured in Caspar Weinberger’s speech “The United States’ Defence Strategy” (1981). International economics, the integration of Europe as documented in Edward Heath’s speech “European Unity over the Next Ten Years: from Community to Union” (1987) and the rise of globalisation are all topics that resonate with 21^st century researchers seeking to understand the factors that shape the world as it is today.

Julia de Mowbray, Publisher, Cengage Learning EMEA, comments: “It has been an enormous pleasure working with such a consistently globally-significant institution to re-publish all its work digitally - research, publications and the world-famous events and speeches.  The material is now online as cross-searchable, subject-indexed full-text and available for researchers and students worldwide. Today’s International Relations researchers know and work with Chatham House on current issues and debates. However that level of information and reporting exists for every year since 1920 and is of enormous value to anyone studying international or national diplomacy, security, economic development, international law  whether about Russia, Korea, Brazil, Syria, Nigeria, the Middle East or British or UN policy.”

Chatham House spokesperson Keith Burnet, Director of Communications and Online Publishing, Chatham House, says: “Chatham House is delighted to partner with Gale, part of Cengage Learning, on this important initiative which brings our archive to new online and global audiences. Researchers and those with an interest in international affairs will get unique insights on political developments in the 20th century to help them better understand today’s world.”

Chatham House Online Archive - 1920-2008 (http://gale.cengage.co.uk/the-chatham-house-online-archiv...) is available as a subscription or one-off purchase to all academic, corporate, government and special libraries.

For more information, contact emea.galereply@cengage.com or visit www.gale.cengage.co.uk.