Access

The EMBL Archive aims to make as much material publicly accessible as possible, while also appropriately controlling access to confidential, private and sensitive material and complying with data protection, copyright, and other applicable legislation.

The restrictions and access conditions of archival collections are documented in the descriptions of the holdings within the publicly accessible EMBL Archive Catalogue. 

Please contact us to request conditions of access to the material that interests you.

Reference and Research services 

We provide online and in-person reference and research services for archive users, namely EMBL staff, visitors, and external researchers. 

For an onsite visit to our Archives Reading Room or an online consultation of our holdings, please contact us via e-mail. 

Use the Archives 

Unless otherwise indicated under specific holdings, the holdings of the EMBL Archive are available for free use and reproduction under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY), which requires proper attribution. 

To cite material from our collections, please include the following information:

1. Title for the item or file.
2. Date of the item/file as it is presented in the description. If there is not any date please write “undated”
3. Title for the file/ subseries/ series/ subfonds, fonds/collection.
4. Reference code: e.g., DE 2324 TRA-EXT-A-2005/19  
5. Location: Box number (If applicable), the name and location of the, Archival Repository: e.g., Archive of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
6. URL: Required for digital content. If you wish to refer to the relevant description, add the relevant URL on the EMBL Archive Catalogue  

To refer, for example, to a file of Christian Boulin material, you can use the following reference: Publications (file), 1980-2006. Research material (series). Christian Boulin material (fonds). DE 2323 P-BOU-C-4 (reference code), Box 153 (box number). Archive of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.

Please acknowledge the material you have referenced from the EMBL Archive.

Featured Stories of EMBL’s Archives Use

Here are stories showcasing how our collections have been utilized within EMBL and beyond. Stay tuned as we continuously update these stories, offering deeper insights into how EMBL’s archives inspire both internal and external users.

Max Planck Digital Story – Pioneers of Knowledge

The Max Planck Institute has created a digital story about the Nobel Laureates of the Max Planck Society, and used images from the Christiane (Janni) Nüsslein-Volhard collection.

EMBL 5Oth Anniversary

The EMBL Archive collaborated with the EMBL Communications department to provide content for the 50th Anniversary History site, as well as for the Flashback Friday articles featured on the EMBL Archive blog.