Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 587,969	$ 556,940	$ 1,136,415	$ 1,070,816
Operating income	85,210	76,169	164,722	139,115
Depreciation and amortization	$ 64,294	$ 53,803	$ 124,809	$ 104,685
Disclosure of Major Customers	0	0	0	0
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Operating income	(55,784)	(45,516)	(94,375)	(85,543)
Depreciation and amortization	87	49	43	103
Resources Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	221,124	234,673	437,046	452,242
Operating income	61,873	64,186	121,254	120,645
Depreciation and amortization	26,153	21,844	50,618	42,993
Transportation Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	230,922	190,292	430,598	366,008
Operating income	60,540	47,833	103,595	88,472
Depreciation and amortization	27,885	20,412	53,917	40,344
CMS Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	135,923	131,975	268,771	252,566
Operating income	18,581	9,666	34,248	15,541
Depreciation and amortization	$ 10,169	$ 11,498	$ 20,231	$ 21,245

The aggregate expense recognized in the current period that allocates the cost of tangible assets, intangible assets, or depleting assets to periods that benefit from use of the assets.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Disclosure of the extent of enterprise reliance on its major customers. For example, includes revenues from transactions with a single external customer amounting to 10 percent or more of the entity's revenues, the total amount of revenues from each such customer, and the identity of the segment or segments reporting the revenues. A group of entities that the entity knows to be under common control generally will be considered a single customer for inclusion in this item. The federal government, a state government, a local government (for example, a county or municipality), or a foreign government each will generally be considered as a single customer for inclusion in this item.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 42
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e9054-108599

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingDisclosureOfMajorCustomers
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_MaterialReconcilingItemsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ihs_ResourcesSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ihs_TransportationSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ihs_CMSSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: