Using and citing our documents

Using our references

Most of our document references consist of a prefix of letters followed by one or more numbers and sub-numbers.

These prefixes usually follow a logical pattern - for example, DN for Diocese of Norwich and Y for Great Yarmouth Borough.

These may be followed by a subsidiary prefix, such as DN/VSB for the Diocese of Norwich: visitation books.

Many references include single spaces, and these are critical if you are searching by document reference - for example, C/C 10/3.

Many of our lists are accessible via our online catalogue (opens new window). You can enter any reference in the Catalogue Ref box and see a description of the document to which it refers.

Alternatively, you can enter a keyword (such as a personal or place name) in the Any Text box.

If this brings up a very long list of catalogue entries, try narrowing down the number of hits by giving a date range, or selecting a particular category, such as maps or manorial records.

If you have only part of the reference, you can still enter it in the Catalogue Ref box, but you may need to enter additional data in another box to reduce the number of records returned.

Citing our references

When citing a reference, you will need to preface it with Norfolk Record Office (or with NRO, as long as it is explained in a list of abbreviations). For example, Norfolk Record Office, DCN 47/3.

Some documents do not yet have unique reference numbers and need to be cited partly by description.

These include some of the records of the City of Norwich, as well as uncatalogued or unnumbered accessions.

The older cards and lists in our searchroom include some obsolete location references, such as P175D, Cabinet I, or Map Tree 5.

They are no longer used to identify documents and should be left out of any published citations.

Please ask a member of staff if you are in doubt as to how to cite a reference.

Requests to publish facsimiles, transcripts or extensive quotations should be made in writing to the County Archivist.

We will gratefully receive offprints or copies of publications referring to NRO documents - contact us for more information.