A comprehensive approach of the methodological problems is being attempted in the context of this project. Problems that arise in regard to identification and critical use of sources of historical geography and demography in Greece compared with similar scientific projects abroad. Indeed, this project has some similarities including two similar projects known by the international scientific field:
(i)''The Victoria History of the Counties of England (VCH)'', under the auspices of the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, which began in 1899 and are still running. Also the (ii) ''Paroisses et Communes de France: Dictionnaire d'Histoire Administrative et Demographique'' under the auspices of the Laboratoire de Demographie Historique of the ecole des Hautes etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, which began in 1970.
However, despite some similarities with the above projects, ours has to face many problems more difficult than the above. Indeed, while in Western and Central Europe, the official population data are available in most cases from the 17th century and continue almost uninterrupted to this day. In our case the first official data on about half of Greece is dating only from the middle 19th century and, in Northern Greece and the islands, from the beginning of 20th century. A diverse and heterogeneous material of unequal validity (including Venetian and Ottoman registers, ecclesiastical manuscripts, travelers' accounts, diplomatic memoirs etc) is collected and deciphered, in order to extract the geographic, administrative and demographic information they contain. Then are being organized, compared and evaluated in order to create a coherent ensemble of scientifically useful data.
This pre-statistic material creates many evident problems (name variants, double nominations and thousands of name changes), which create a serious barrier not only for the foreigners but even for the Greek scholars. Thus, the concentration on a national level of organized and scientifically tested material concerning these topics, is not only of great value for the specialists in these fields but also an indispensable source for students of every aspect of human studies. An important task on the scientific use of the existing sources has been the transcription of the Codex of the Transformation Monastery at Zavorda by the colleagues Maria Christina Chatziioannou and Evdokia Olympitou, also the study of Dimitris Dimitropoulos for the population of the Aegean islands (15th - beginning of 19th c.), which were prepared and published as part of our project. In addition to this the publication of the Venetian cadastral register of Vostitsa by Constantinos Ntokos, with the encouragement and active contribution of Vassilis Panayotopoulos.

The study of administrative history of Greece is in progress, with emphasis on identifying and defining the boundaries of administrative units from the late Middle Ages, during the Ottoman conquest until today. Indeed, in this area there are serious problems to solve, as we do not often know the exact number of Ottoman kazas, even sanjak and their confines in each period. Even in rare cases where historical research brings to light numbers, for example the population of sanjak, we are not often able to accurately associate these numbers with a specific, clearly defined geographical unit. It is noteworthy that it took five years of exhaustive research and studies on hardworking by the gifted colleague Michael Kokolakis, to resolve the incoherent administrative and geographical skein of a region in Epirus, during a given period less than a century. As a result was his excellent theses, which took place and was published under the care of our project.

The issues of organization and development of residential space, although it was an integral part of the discussion developed within the project, has not received systematic research yet. However, the results so far are rather sparse and occasionally. The next research project ''Aegean: A Historical Study of Settlements and the Architecture of the Habitat'', that conducted in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens, attempted searching, collecting and classifying historical and architectural information on the islands of the Aegean sea. This process had as a result the creation of a document collection (architectural plans, historical and architectural bibliography, maps and aerial photos).
In the framework of the project "Athens: A Historical Register of Buildings" scientific coordinators Leonidas F. Kallivretakis and Christina Agriantoni directed a systematic archival and bibliographical research, while designed an exemplary electronic application, as summary report of the thematic databases.

Recently the coordinators decided to research systematically the residential and administrative constitution of settlements and municipalities in the region of Piraeus from 1922 until the 1970's. The aim is to collect documentary material that will illuminate the process of creating and providing the identity of each settlement (population, election results, business activity etc.).

An introductory approach to the Greek cultural groups and also in wider Balkan area is being attempted. This approach will display ethnocultural peculiarities in specific environments, as well as the installation and movement through the historical periods from the 15th century until present day.

The study of traditional local economic activities, both basic (agriculture, livestock, etc.) and additional (craft, handicraft, etc.) was an integral part of the project considered as a prerequisite for understanding the relationship between people and space. Also a systematic collection of information on any local and regional economic activities is taking place, and generally on traditional technical culture. Especially the recent years, our attention turned to the study of these topics in the islands of the Aegean, Dimitris Dimitropoulos made the start with his theses on Mykonos, which was prepared and published in our project. This project has great interest on fishing activities in Greek sea.

Over the past few years, the self-contained project of the "Ali Pasha Archive", transcribed and annotated, is being carried out under the Reasearch Programme and the supervision of Vassilis Panagiotopoulos. During the years 2007-8, four massive volumes of these works were effectively published through the cooperation of Panagiotis Michailaris, who is the present supervisor of the project, and Dimitris Dimitropoulos. Adding to that, this initiative has already been carried forward with the publication of archival documents, kept at the National Archives of Greece and the Benaki Museum. In this last task, Andromachi Marouda and Vallia Rapti, two of the collaborators on contract of I.N.R., have also participated.

During our investigation, our interest in the Heraldic monuments, as sources of the administrative and political history has evolved gradually. Partners of our project have conducted an extensive archival and localized search, which in end, has established a methodically documented collection. This project is a joined effort of the I.N.R. and the field of Modern Political History Department, under the supervision of Leonidas Kallivretakis.

The I.N.R. has incorporated in his scientific activities the study of fishery in Greek areas. In this context a scientific meeting took place in Syros island, whose papers are hosted in volume Fishing in the Greek seas, from the testimonies of the past in contemporary reality, Athens 2010. A following action on this scientific study is the consitution of a digital application which will contain documents about fishery in greek sea, publishing activity will also be continued by our colleagues.

Under the Research Programme has taken place as well the research and applied work of Giannis Saitas "Mani: society, settlements and cultural activities", concerning the documentation, search and exposure of the historical-geographical area of Mani. This task has been based on both methods of fieldwork (schemas and analysis) and archival, historical, demographical and anthropological approaches.

Since 1985, the research team of the Programme has been organizing the "Ermoupoli's Seminars" in the homonym city of Syros, in coordination with the Scientific and Educational Foundation of Cyclades. This annual event takes place every year in July, lasts for about two weeks and includes interdisciplinary meetings, speeches and "round-table" discussions concerning various fields of social and human sciences, with the participation of many scientists from all over the world, as well as the local community. Detailed programme of the Ermoupoli Seminars can be found at the following link: http://www.eie.gr/nhrf/institutes/inr/news/seminaria-syros-gr.htm

Permanent cooperation with the Laboratoire de Demographie Historique of  "Ecole des hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales" in Paris and more specificaly with the relative programmes "'Espace et territoire: representations geographiques, pratiques politiques, espace public et morphologie spatiale'' and ''Paroisses et Communes de France: Dictionnaire d'Histoire Administrative et Demographique''. The joint research projects ''Pratiques de l'espace et identites sociales dans l'Archipel grec'', ''Archipel grec et espaces regionaux en Mediterranee'' and ''Espace et societe : frontieres comme enjeux sociaux'' have been launched within the above work.
Special collaboration with the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Science in Moscow.

Cooperation  in specific fields with the History Department of the Ionian University (Corfu), the Department of History and Archaeology of Crete (Rethimnon), the School of Architecture of N.T.U.A., and the Department of Surveying Engineering, (Technological Educational Institute of Athens).