Studying Vietnam’s Cold War experiences on the basis of its own archival records and other materials poses serious challenges for researchers. This presentation explores the issues confronting scholars seeking to make sense of Vietnam’s recent past and the role played by policymakers in shaping events. It addresses existing limitations on the conduct of archival research in Vietnam and suggests ways of dealing with or otherwise neutralizing them. It also comments on the quality of accessible materials at National Archives Center 3 (NAC3, Trung tam Luu tru Quoc gia III, the main repository for post-1954 government documents) and on the merits of published document collections and secondary sources, including official histories. The presentation concludes with a reflection on the state of Vietnam War studies in the West that considers Vietnam’s place in the so-called New Cold War History calling for the widening of the archival and geographical scope of Cold War studies