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The National Security Archive is an independent nonprofit research organization based at The George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, DC, that collects, publishes and litigates for declassified US government records. It is not a government agency and has no connection to the National Security Agency (NSA) or to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Researchers use it to find primary-source documents on US foreign and security policy and to learn how to request records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Facts below were checked against the Archive’s own pages on 2026-11-08.
What is the National Security Archive?
According to its About page, the Archive was founded in 1985 by journalists and scholars to check rising government secrecy. It describes itself as a library and archive of declassified US documents, and the page quotes the Los Angeles Times calling it the world’s largest nongovernmental collection of such records. The same page describes the organization as a leading nonprofit user of FOIA and says it also operates as an investigative journalism center, a research institute and a public interest law firm.
Who runs it and what does it cover?
The Archive is located at GWU. Its public site is organized around briefing books, FOIA resources, projects by country or theme (the homepage lists Cuba, Russia, China, a Cyber Vault and a Nuclear Vault), special exhibits, a blog called Unredacted, and a virtual reading room.
Digital National Security Archive (DNSA)
The Digital National Security Archive is the Archive’s curated document collection. Its page states that it contains more than 100,000 declassified records documenting historic US policy decisions, covering the Truman through Obama administrations, and that it is published by the Archive at GWU’s Gelman Library with ProQuest as publishing partner. Collections are grouped by region or theme, including Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, the Cold War, human rights, intelligence, presidential policy, nuclear issues and military affairs. Access is by paid subscription, usually through a library, and the page points to a ProQuest trial; it lists no prices.
How to find and use its material
The Archive’s own pages name these entry points. Use the site’s own navigation for current search features.
- Start at the homepage and browse the briefing books, which collect documents around a single event or topic.
- Use the project pages by country or theme (for example the Nuclear Vault or Cyber Vault) when your topic fits one.
- Read the Unredacted blog and special exhibits for context on the documents.
- For the full DNSA collections, check whether your library subscribes, or use the ProQuest trial the DNSA page refers to.
- For your own records request, use the FOIA resources section, which the About page describes as guidance on how to file requests, legislative history and audits.
When you quote a document, cite the original agency record and any collection or briefing-book title the Archive gives, following your style guide; see repository citation for general principles. For an example of a FOIA request at one agency, see FDA FOIA request.
Strengths and limits
- Strength: documents are curated into briefing books and thematic projects, so a topic often arrives pre-assembled rather than as raw search hits.
- Strength: the public site and the subscription DNSA are separate, so some material can be read without institutional access.
- Limit: the full DNSA requires a subscription, typically through a library.
- Limit: the Archive holds declassified records, so coverage follows what has been released, not everything an agency created. Its scope is US government records.
- Limit: the About page gives no document total for the whole site; the only size stated in the pages checked is the DNSA figure above.
Alternatives and companions
Different holders answer different questions. See research repositories vs archives and data repository for how these terms differ.
| Source | Operated by | What its own page describes |
|---|---|---|
| CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room | Central Intelligence Agency | The agency’s own FOIA Electronic Reading Room, with collections such as its Nixon Collection on the 1972 China trip. |
| Research Our Records | National Archives (NARA) | Research tools including the National Archives Catalog, Online Access to Archival Databases, a Presidential Library Explorer and military records. |
| Digital National Security Archive | National Security Archive at GWU, with ProQuest | Subscription collection of more than 100,000 declassified records. |
Frequently asked questions
Is the National Security Archive part of the US government?
No. Its About page describes a nonprofit located at The George Washington University. Government record holders include NARA and agency reading rooms such as the CIA’s.
Is it the same as the NSA?
No. The National Security Agency is a separate US intelligence agency; the Archive is an independent research organization that publishes declassified records.
Is the Digital National Security Archive free?
The DNSA page describes a paid subscription, usually via libraries, with a ProQuest trial. Its public website also hosts briefing books and projects openly.
Can I file a FOIA request through it?
The Archive provides FOIA guidance and describes itself as a leading nonprofit FOIA user. Requests themselves go to the agency that holds the records.
Sources
- National Security Archive, About, read 2026-11-08.
- National Security Archive, homepage, read 2026-11-08.
- Digital National Security Archive, read 2026-11-08.
- CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room and NARA, Research Our Records, read 2026-11-08.
