About us

Services

Research helpdesk Rapid response research service for short desk-based research needs on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues. Most helpdesk reports are publicly available on our website.
Emerging issues research service A more in-depth research service for emerging policy areas.
Topic guides User-friendly guides to key topics in governance, conflict and social development to bring you up to date on the main debates and issues in each topic area. The guides are produced by our researchers in close collaboration with external experts and practitioners in DFID.
Gateway guides Guides to the most useful, credible and up-to-date resources available on the internet in relation to a number of governance and social development topics.
Document library A collection of over 3000 of the most credible publications available on governance, social development, and conflict issues. (We have also begun covering humanitarian issues.) Brief, policy-oriented summaries of each document are provided, plus links to the full text online or to a request form for document delivery via the British Library for Development Studies.
Email bulletin A monthly digest of key new resources on governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian issues from the GSDRC and beyond.

About our services

All of the GSDRC’s services are accessible to any organisation working in international development, including governments, donors, NGOs, consulting firms, and research organisations. The web-based services are provided free to everyone, while research services operate on a fee-for-service basis. Please contact us to discuss your research needs. (Governments in developing countries may be able to request research free of charge in collaboration with their local DFID office.)

The GSDRC is supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). All DFID and AusAID staff can therefore send requests directly to the rapid response research helpdesk service at no cost. The emerging issues research service is also free to AusAID staff, subject to approval of requests by the AusAID coordinator.