Supporting Social Science Research: The Role of NASSDOC

Behind every well-researched social science thesis in India lies a quiet but powerful support system. For decades, scholars studying sociology, economics, political science, and allied fields have relied on a single national centre to track down obscure dissertations, compile bibliographies, and access documents unavailable in their local libraries. That centre is NASSDOC-the National Social Science Documentation Centre. As a division of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), it has shaped how social science research is documented, retrieved, and shared across the country. This post explains what NASSDOC does, why it matters, and how it continues to serve researchers in a digital age.

History and objectives 🔗

To understand NASSDOC, it helps to first understand its parent body. The ICSSR was established in 1969 by the Government of India to promote and fund research in the social sciences. It provides grants, fellowships, and capacity-building support to research institutions nationwide.

NASSDOC was created as a documentation division within this structure. According to the official ICSSR records, NASSDOC was established in 1970 to provide library and information support services to social science researchers. You will sometimes see the founding year listed as 1969, since that is when ICSSR itself came into being. The distinction is worth noting: ICSSR is the funding and policy body, while NASSDOC is its specialised information and documentation arm.

The core objective has remained consistent since its inception: to support researchers working in academic institutions, autonomous research organisations, government policy and planning units, and even business and industry. NASSDOC was designed to be a national hub where social science knowledge could be collected, organised, preserved, and made accessible to anyone who needed it.

Who NASSDOC serves 🔗

The centre does not work in isolation. It also extends guidance to the libraries of ICSSR Regional Centres and the various research institutes supported by ICSSR. This means a PhD scholar at a regional institute and a policy analyst in a government department can both tap into the same network of resources. The aim is to reduce duplication of effort and ensure that researchers across India have a common point of reference.

Library and information services 🔗

NASSDOC functions, at its heart, as a specialised research library. Its collection includes unpublished doctoral dissertations, research project reports, and current and old volumes of social science journals of both Indian and foreign origin. This collection is augmented by encyclopedias, bibliographies, abstracting and indexing journals, microfilms, and books on research methodology. For a social science researcher, this concentration of grey literature-material not easily found through commercial publishers-is the real value.

Reference and referral services 🔗

The centre offers a traditional reference service where staff respond to queries made in person, by email, or over the phone. If a particular document or piece of information is not available within NASSDOC’s own collection, it provides a referral service, directing the scholar to other institutions or libraries where the material can be found. This saves researchers the time and frustration of searching blindly.

Literature search service 🔗

One of the most useful offerings is the literature search. NASSDOC maintains a large body of bibliographic data in both printed and digital formats, and uses online and offline databases to conduct searches on specific topics on demand. This service is especially valuable for scholars in smaller cities and towns where access to well-stocked libraries or expensive subscription databases is limited. Historically, NASSDOC has provided access to specialised databases covering disciplines such as economics, political science, sociology, and psychology.

Bibliography on demand 🔗

Closely linked to literature search is the bibliography compilation service. A researcher can request a custom bibliography on a chosen topic, and NASSDOC compiles a systematic list of relevant books, journal articles, theses, and reports. The service is offered with or without abstracts, with charges varying accordingly. For someone beginning a literature review, having a curated, topic-specific bibliography is a significant head start.

Document delivery service 🔗

Perhaps the service that resolves the most practical problems is document delivery. When a researcher needs a specific document that is not available locally, NASSDOC facilitates delivery through inter-library loan or photocopying. It sources material from its own collection as well as from other Indian and international libraries, and delivers copies-digitally or physically-within the limits of copyright rules. This bridges the gap between scholars and the documents they cannot otherwise reach.

Key databases 🔗

Beyond direct services, NASSDOC is actively engaged in developing databases and information locating tools. These databases have become essential infrastructure for the social science research community, helping scholars identify what work already exists before they begin their own.

The PhD dissertation database 🔗

One of the most significant resources NASSDOC maintains is its database of doctoral dissertations. It catalogues theses from universities across India, allowing researchers to search by topic, author, or institution. This database serves a critical function: it helps a scholar confirm whether a particular research question has already been addressed, and points them to existing work they can build upon. Avoiding unintentional duplication is one of the quieter but most important contributions a documentation centre can make to a research ecosystem.

The research project reports database 🔗

Alongside dissertations, NASSDOC maintains a database of research project reports. This records both ongoing and completed research projects in the social sciences, many of them funded by ICSSR and other agencies. A researcher can use this database to discover what projects are underway, identify potential collaborators, and locate findings that may never have been formally published. NASSDOC has also been working on a digital repository of research project reports that is accessible both within India and internationally.

Directories and locating tools 🔗

NASSDOC has also produced a range of directories over the years, including directories of social science research and training institutions in India and of social scientists themselves. These reference tools help map the research landscape, making it easier for scholars to find the right institution, the right expert, or the right journal for their needs.

Training and grants 🔗

NASSDOC does not limit itself to storing and supplying information. It also invests in building the capacity of the people who use and manage that information. This dual role-as both a service provider and a skills developer-distinguishes it from an ordinary library.

Training and continuing education 🔗

The centre organises short-term training courses for researchers, social scientists, librarians, and IT professionals. These programmes focus on familiarising participants with current information and communication technologies, database searching, and modern documentation practices. As research tools have shifted from card catalogues to online databases and digital repositories, this continuing education function has become increasingly important. It ensures that scholars are not left behind by the very technologies meant to help them.

Study grants for PhD scholars 🔗

NASSDOC administers a study grant scheme through which PhD research scholars receive financial assistance to consult libraries and archives located in other cities. The grant typically covers travel and daily allowances. For a doctoral student who needs to access a specialised archive far from their home institution, this support can make otherwise impossible research trips feasible.

Grants-in-aid for documentation projects 🔗

The centre also provides financial assistance for bibliographical and documentation projects. This means scholars or institutions wishing to compile bibliographies, build subject databases, or undertake other documentation work can apply for support. By funding such projects, NASSDOC strengthens the overall body of organised social science knowledge available to future researchers, creating a positive cycle where today’s documentation becomes tomorrow’s research foundation.

NASSDOC in the digital era 🔗

The role of any documentation centre changes as technology evolves, and NASSDOC has adapted accordingly. It has moved from print catalogues toward a web-enabled environment featuring an automated collection, a Web-OPAC (online public access catalogue), union catalogues, and e-resources. It has completed projects such as setting up a Social Science Libraries Network and establishing connectivity through the National Knowledge Network. Through ICSSR, it also provides access to subscribed e-journals and databases from major academic publishers. This continuous modernisation keeps NASSDOC relevant to a generation of researchers who expect information at their fingertips.

Taken together, these functions show why NASSDOC occupies such a central place in social science research. It is at once a library, a search service, a database developer, a training institute, and a funding facilitator. Few other institutions combine all these roles under one roof, and that combination is precisely what makes it so valuable to the research community.

What do you think? If you were starting a social science research project today, which NASSDOC service would you find most useful-its dissertation database for avoiding duplication, or its document delivery service for accessing hard-to-find material? And how should national documentation centres like this one evolve to stay relevant as open-access repositories and AI-powered search tools become more common?

References

1. https://www.icssr.org/nassdoc
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Council_of_Social_Science_Research
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Social_Science_Documentation_Centre
4. https://www.icssr.org/nassdoc/bibliography-demand-and-literature-search-services
5. https://icssr.org/nassdoc-document-delivery-inter-library-loan-reprography-service
6. http://icssr-nassdoc.blogspot.com/p/glance-at-nassdoc_15.html
7. https://study.niteshkverma.com/mlis/101.3.2.php
8. https://libraryscience4ugcnet.wordpress.com/documentation-centres-in-india/nassdoc/