Research Guides: Research at the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives: Deciding Where to Start

Starting Your Research

With over 100 unique archival collections, it can be difficult deciding where to begin your research about the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing and those whose lives were lost or permanently changed. The following are a few suggestions of specific collections and collecting areas that provide helpful introductory resources as you begin to familiarize yourself with the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives, the process of archival research, and the history and legacy of the disaster. These collections include both primary and secondary resources.

General Introduction to Pan Am Flight 103

Pan Am Flight 103 Audiovisual Collection
Contains general audiovisual materials relevant to Pan Am 103 and terrorism. Due to rights restrictions, full-length audio and video resources are often available through the Special Collections reading room only. Please contact the Archives in advance if you are interested in accessing a specific media item, as it may be necessary for us to produce a viewing or listening copy
Pan Am Flight 103 Publications Collection
Contains general publications - magazines and periodicals, government documents, dissertations and theses, etc. - related to Pan Am 103 and terrorism. Some of these items may also be available as circulating copies or through databases.

TIP: You can use Libraries Search and even Interlibrary Loan to identify and request relevant rare books and secondary sources about Pan Am Flight 103, Lockerbie, and relevant topics within terrorism and counterterrorism studies outside the Archives' collections.

Pam Am 103 Clippings Collection
Contains media coverage related to the bombing of Pan Am 103, the aftermath of the disaster, creative works inspired by the tragedy, and other relevant topics. These clippings were collected from various print and digital news sources beginning in December 1988. The Archives has largely ceased actively adding to this collection.

TIP: You can find regular and thorough news coverage of the disaster, its aftermath, and the ongoing investigation online through many local, national, and international publications including The Daily Orange, Syracuse University News, The Herald (Scotland), the London Times, and the New York Times. Access to pay-walled news sources is available to current Syracuse University students, faculty, and staff through the Libraries' journal subscriptions.

Resources About the Victims and Affected Communities

On Eagles' Wings Collection
Contains both the editorial files and published editions of the memorial book On Eagles' Wings, compiled by the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. to honor their loved ones. A full-text digital version of the book is available directly through the collection finding aid.
Pan Am 103 Individuals Collection
Contains information pertaining to the victims of the bombing, as well as selected non-victims with a direct relationship to the disaster.
Pan Am 103 Story Archives Collection
Contains narratives - both written and recorded - from those with a personal connection to the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Brief clips of many of the oral histories are available through the collection finding aid. Full-length oral histories are available to view in the Special Collections reading room only.
Victim and Family Collections
The collections donated to the Archives by the families and friends of the victims provide an opportunity to learn about the individuals whose lives were lost, the work of the families for justice and improved aviation security, and the ways in which the disaster has been memorialized.

TIP: Although the Archives does not currently hold standalone collections for each of the 270 victims, our collections do include information about nearly every individual. If you're having trouble locating information about a specific person or family, reach out to Archives staff using the "Email Me" button in the profile box of this guide.

Lockerbie, Scotland Collections
Information and collections about the experiences of Lockerbie residents and first responders provide firsthand accounts of how community members were impacted, participated in the investigation and recovery efforts, and supported one another as well as the families of the victims.
Syracuse University Collections
Information and collections about the experience and response of Syracuse University to the tragedy and the ways in which the University has remembered the victims.