The Institute undertakes and encourages scholarly, ethical community-based research, holds a priceless collection of films, photographs, video and audio recordings and the world's largest collections of printed and other resource materials for Indigenous Studies, and has its own publishing house.

• A staff of 118 people, headed by the Principal, engaged in a range of endeavours of interest to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, scholars and the Australian and international public.
• A Library and Audiovisual Archive managing the world's most extensive collections of printed, audio and visual materials on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and societies.

AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive holds the world's premier collection of moving image, recorded sound and photographic materials relating to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories. The majority of the items held in the Audiovisual Archive represent the primary results of field research funded by the AIATSIS Research Grants Program as well as historical and contemporary items which have been deposited by individuals, families or organisations for safe-keeping and appropriate access. The material is unique and irreplaceable and provides an invaluable link between past, present and future generations of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

There are currently over 45,000 hours of sound recordings held in the AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive. Most of the collection is made up of unique and unpublished field recordings documenting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, ceremonies, music, oral history, cultural narratives, site descriptions, research seminars and important events. A smaller part of the collection is made up of copies of significant historical recordings held in overseas and interstate collections, selected published recordings and broadcast materials.