Research and copying service
Our Research and Copying Request Service is currently experiencing very high demand, please be aware of the following:
- Priority will continue to be given to urgent requests, such as imminent legal and business requirements
- All requests are strictly limited to no more than two hours of work, please do not submit a request for more than two hours as we will have to return your request
- Requests may take around ten to twelve weeks to complete due to very high demand
We operate a professional Research and Copying Service to do research on your behalf using the records held at the Somerset Heritage Centre.
Ordering research or copies of documents
- Please specify as clearly and precisely as possible the information that you are seeking, and enclose any relevant information which might assist us
- Please provide the exact references for the documents if known
- Please enclose an accurate map if your enquiry concerns a house or land
How long will I have to wait?
Enquiries are dealt with in the order that we receive them. Wait times may be up to 12 weeks depending on the volume of enquiries received. In exceptional circumstances we can give priority to your enquiry, e.g. when a deadline has been imposed on you at short notice. Please contact to discuss.
What you will receive
If you have requested research you will receive a report outlining the sources examined and results obtained, together with advice on further avenues of research. Digital images will be provided as jpegs unless higher resolution images are needed for publication purposes. If paper copies are required, please contact us prior to submitting your request to discuss if this will be possible.
Charges
- Standard Rate: £38 sterling (per hour in 15 minute increments, minimum charge £15)
- Business/Legal Rate: £80 sterling (per hour in 15 minute increments, minimum charge £20)
Business and/or legal enquiries are treated as urgent.
Please allow for a reasonable amount of research time to answer all your questions. If you are unsure how much time to allow we suggest up to an hour to begin with (i.e. authorise up to £38 of expenditure under the standard rate). Please note that all requests are restricted to two hours of work.
Provision and use of copies, permission to publish and copyright
Under Data Protection Legislation access to records must be lawful, which is why we apply restricted access to some records. Access to records needs to be fair. Personal data must be used in ways that is reasonable to the individuals concerned and must not have an adverse effect on anyone. We expect that everyone using archives obtained from our service will treat the information that they obtain in a fair and lawful manner. We reserve the right to not copy documents that contain personal information. This may only become evident on closer inspection when we receive the request.
All copies supplied are for private study or research. You will need to obtain permission in writing from the South West Heritage Trust before publishing any copies that we supply to you. This includes uploading to the internet. Additional fees may be involved and copyright may also apply. Please see our ‘Permission to Use Collections’ and ‘Copyright’ guides for further details.
By making a research request you agree to these requirements, and declare the following:
My research will not be used to support measures or decisions with respect to particular individuals and will not cause or be likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress to any person who is the subject of these data while they are alive or likely to be alive (assuming a life span of 100 years).
I shall not make the results of my research available in any form that identifies any data subject without the consent in writing of the data subject.
I will dispose of any personal data in an appropriate manner when it is no longer required for my research.
Under the data protection legislation (UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018), I understand that I am responsible for data protection compliance as a data controller in relation to any processing by me of personal data obtained from the records identified in this form.
I declare that I have not been supplied with copies of this material before and that the copies now supplied will be used for the purposes of private study and non-commercial research only.
I will not use these copies for any legal or business purposes or for any publication without the prior written permission of the Somerset Archives and Local Studies Service.
I understand that if my declaration is false, I shall be liable for infringement of copyright in the same way as if I had made the copy myself.
Payment Methods
Please state your authorised maximum amount on the research form.
- Online card payment via PayPal: Once we have received your completed research request form we will send you an invoice via PayPal. If the research takes less time than originally estimated appropriate refunds will be given via PayPal. PayPal allows payment by Guest Checkout which does not require a PayPal account.
- Card payment by phone: When we have completed your research we will send you an invoice to be paid within 7 working days. We can take card payment over the phone at 01823 278805 during public opening hours (please see our website). We are unable to accept American Express or Diners Club. Please do not send your payment card details via email.
- Cheques: When we have completed your research we will send you an invoice, you can then send us your cheque for the amount of time taken. Please note we are no longer able to accept open limited cheques.
Where to send your completed Research Request Form
Send your completed Research Request Form to:
- Email: somersetarchives@swheritage.org.uk (We recommend sending your form as a PDF, Microsoft Word or JPG file)
- Post: Somerset Heritage Centre, Brunel Way, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, TA2 6SF
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