For seekers · research on demand

The record is there.
So is one of ours.

A vetted researcher already holds the right credentials and direct access to the archive, library, or private collection you need. They retrieve what you need and send it back, often within the week. No travel. No silence. No freelancer roulette.

POST A REQUEST

Free to post. Offers within 24 hours. 5% off the platform fee on your next search.

LIVE FEED · this week · 6 open now

A document a database cannot reach.

Choose a volume below
    How Source works

    Your request, on its way to the record.

    1 Post it2 MINUTES 2 ClaimedWITHIN HOURS · BY SOMEONE ALREADY THERE 3 RetrievedPHOTOGRAPHED & TRANSCRIBED · ON YOUR TERMS 4 DeliveredTHEN YOU PAY
    • 1Post it2 minutes
    • 2Claimedwithin hours · by someone already there
    • 3Retrievedphotographed & transcribed · on your terms
    • 4Deliveredthen you pay
    For seekers · post a request
    POST YOUR FIRST REQUEST →
    Bigger than self-serve? Complex, multi-archive briefs get a scoped quote and a named lead researcher in 2-3 days.
    Submit a bespoke request →
    How Source protects you
    01
    Vetted researchers Verified, credentialed, and always human.
    02
    Free quote, no commitment Free, no signup costs. Researchers quote after seeing your request and budget.
    03
    Your record stays private Delivered to you. Never published. Never shared.
    04
    Pay only on delivery Stripe-secured. You approve before release. Researcher gets Stripe payout.

    Where Source has researchers.

    Source has vetted researchers in 72 cities across 30 countries who hold live reading-room credentials at their local archive, library, or private collection. New locations are added daily. Median first response is 18 hours. Median fulfilled cost is £65 per request.

    72cities
    30countries
    18hrmedian day-one
    £65median fulfilled
    100%real person
    A sample of the institutions we hold reading-room access at
    From customers · completed jobs

    In their own words.

    Researchers who walk into archives on behalf of seekers. Their experience of the platform, in full.

    Isabella W.Researcher · early-career, freelance
    "I joined as an early-career researcher and the experience has been positive from start to finish. The platform makes it easy to understand what's being requested and what the payment is before accepting. The research took half a day. The payment was transparent and arrived when it said it would."
    Time on archive
    ½ day
    Paid in
    1 week
    Archival document retrieval · public institution
    Maria O.Researcher · London
    "Since I joined Source, I've worked on requests ranging from exhibition catalogues to poetry collections, and visited libraries and archives all across London. I love that Source gives me the flexibility to work around my own schedule, and the team has been nothing but helpful."
    Based
    London
    Range
    catalogues + poetry
    Libraries and archives across London

    Seeker stories coming soon · long-form features on the documents these researchers found.

    Our partners

    Working together to make knowledge accessible.

    Run an archive, library or private collection? Source partners with institutions to widen access.
    PARTNER WITH SOURCE →
    Earn from home

    Get paid for the research work you already do.

    You set the price. You decide what to take. You keep most of it. Your first three jobs are fee-free.

    • Same-week Stripe payout. Reduced platform fees on your first three jobs.
    • Bid for the jobs you want. Keep 85% of the fee. Your first job is on us.
    Source Scholar · for students
    Earn a Research Experience Certificate for your CV.
    Get paid to research. Not to stand at a scanner.
    Complete 10 research jobs on Source and receive a verified Research Experience Certificate. Add it straight to your CV, your application materials, or your scholarly profile.
    10research jobs → 1certificate → verified research work
    Register: sourcescholar@bemysource.com →
    Start Earning Now →
    Estimate your earningsLive medians
    £1,300
    a month, before Stripe fees
    Requests you take a week5
    £65median / job
    £15.6ka year
    Same weekpayout
    Based on the last 90 days of fulfilled jobs · you set your own price
    Get the app

    It all happens in the app.

    Post a request, track it, message your researcher, and pay through Stripe. All in one place.

    Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play
    Frequently asked

    Questions, answered.

    How much does it cost to hire an archive researcher through Source?
    Most requests fall between £40 and £400. The median fulfilled cost is £65. Genealogy and citizenship-by-descent records typically range £40 to £150. Provenance and academic transcription work ranges £100 to £400. You receive a quote within hours of posting.
    Who actually retrieves my record?
    Every record is retrieved and verified by a person who has access to the relevant holding institution or has private access to the material. They physically visit, photograph the record, and where transcription is needed (Kurrent script, Latin notarial hands, Ottoman script) they transcribe it themselves, then send it back.
    What kinds of records can a Source researcher retrieve?
    Census records, birth and death certificates, parish registers, probate wills and inventories, newspaper archives, military service records, land registry deeds, court records, university theses and dissertations, institutional annual reports, local government minutes, trade directories, shipping manifests, photographs and visual ephemera, correspondence and personal papers, manuscript collections, and any non-digitised physical record held in a public, institutional, or privately accessible archive.
    How do I retrieve a record from an archive that does not respond to email?
    Describe the archive (city and institution) and the document type. If you know where the material is held, tell us. If not, leave it blank and we will find it for you. A real person will bid for your job, visit in person, photograph and transcribe where needed, and deliver within the week. Median first response: 18 hours. Median cost: £65.
    Which cities does Source cover?
    New locations are added daily. Currently there are researchers in Allschwil, Amman, Amsterdam, Ankara, Athens, Austin, Balad, Banda, Bannu, Barneveld, Basel, Berlin, Bolton, Bristol, Buenos Aires, Cambridge, Castres, Cheltenham, Chester, Chicago, Cologne, Dar es Salaam, Dartmouth, Den Haag, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Geneva, Hartney, Istanbul, Jbail, Jerusalem, Kadapa, Korçë, Larchmont, Lea City, Lira, London, Lucknow, Madrid, Melbourne, Montpellier, Moscow, Mosul, Mumbai, Munich, Naples, New York, Newcastle, Nottingham, Ottawa, Oxford, Paris, Richmond, Richterswil, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, Somerville, Strasbourg, Suquamish, Swansea, São Paulo, Tel Aviv, Tirana, Tlaxcala, Toronto, Valentia Island, Venice, Vienna, Zurich, Zutendaal.
    How does Source pay its researchers?
    Same-week Stripe payout on every accepted job. Reduced platform fees on the first three jobs. Researchers earn £40 to £400 per request.
    Is my retrieved record private?
    Yes. The record is delivered to you and stays private. Source publishes only anonymised proof-of-fulfilment cards, showing the archive name, record type, turnaround, and cost. No customer name, personal information, or content is ever shared without your consent.
    Does Source do bespoke or institutional research?
    Yes. The bespoke service handles multi-archive projects spanning several institutions or jurisdictions, due diligence and research for legal and compliance teams, provenance research for auction houses, dealers and collectors, and partnership agreements with libraries, archives, and universities needing ongoing access to specialist contributors. Submit a bespoke request and the team responds within two business days.
    Who we are

    The people
    behind Source.