It includes within its constituency not only academic anthropologists, but also those with a general interest in the subject, and those trained in anthropology who work in other fields.

The photographic library consists of over 75,000 historic prints, negatives, lantern-slides and other images, the earliest dating from the 1860s.

The photo library illustrates the great diversity and vitality of the world's cultures as well as the history of photographic image-making itself.

The RAI is actively involved in developing ethnographic film and video, as a mode of anthropological enquiry and as an educational resource.

The archive and manuscript collection spans a period of over 150 years, providing a unique historical record of the discipline and of the Institute itself.

Much unpublished textual and visual material entrusted to the RAI over the years is held in the manuscript collection, which is being conserved and catalogued on a continuing basis.

[1][2] The Medal was founded in 1923 by the Council of the Institute in memory of its late President, William Halse Rivers, originally for 'anthropological work in the field'.

The Medal shall be awarded for a recent body of work published over a period of five years which makes, as a whole, a significant contribution to social, physical or cultural anthropology or archaeology.

Individuals seeking full Fellowship status are usually required to be proposed by current Fellows who personally know the potential member.

Fellowship in the Institute is primarily, though not exclusively, for persons who have professional or academic involvement in the field of the study of humankind or the social sciences [5].