Supplemental Guarantor Information Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	Nov. 30, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 328,568	$ 334,284
Investing activities:
Capital expenditures on property and equipment	(52,660)	(69,038)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(1,113,440)	(369,908)
Proceeds from sale of assets	190,215	0
Change in other assets	4,272	(339)
Settlements of forward contracts	(4,148)	2,419
Advances provided to other subsidiaries	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(975,761)	(436,866)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings	1,100,000	440,000
Repayment of borrowings	(269,882)	(153,263)
Payment of debt issuance costs	(15,430)	0
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	60	5,193
Repurchases of common stock	(106,015)	(105,247)
Advances received from other subsidiaries	0
Proceeds from issuances of intercompany equity	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	708,733	186,683
Foreign exchange impact on cash balance	(9,148)	(11,378)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	52,392	72,723
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period	291,580	153,156
Cash and cash equivalents, including discontinued operations, at the beginning of the period			$ 293,148
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period	345,540	225,879
Eliminating Entries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0
Investing activities:
Capital expenditures on property and equipment	0	0
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
Change in other assets	0	0
Settlements of forward contracts	0	0
Advances provided to other subsidiaries	815,115
Investment in subsidiaries	551,451	100
Net cash used in investing activities	1,366,566	100
Financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings	0	0
Repayment of borrowings	0	0
Payment of debt issuance costs	0
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0	0
Advances received from other subsidiaries	(815,115)
Proceeds from issuances of intercompany equity	(551,451)	(100)
Net cash provided by financing activities	(1,366,566)	(100)
Foreign exchange impact on cash balance	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, including discontinued operations, at the beginning of the period			0
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period	0
IHS Inc. [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	150	0
Investing activities:
Capital expenditures on property and equipment	0	0
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
Change in other assets	0	0
Settlements of forward contracts	0	0
Advances provided to other subsidiaries	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings	0	0
Repayment of borrowings	0	0
Payment of debt issuance costs	0
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0	0
Advances received from other subsidiaries	0
Proceeds from issuances of intercompany equity	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0
Foreign exchange impact on cash balance	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	150	0
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, including discontinued operations, at the beginning of the period			0
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period	150	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	183,221	186,247
Investing activities:
Capital expenditures on property and equipment	(44,963)	(60,793)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(653,906)	(324,393)
Proceeds from sale of assets	124,282
Change in other assets	4,272	(339)
Settlements of forward contracts	0	0
Advances provided to other subsidiaries	(190,749)
Investment in subsidiaries	(551,451)	(100)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,312,515)	(385,625)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings	1,100,000	440,000
Repayment of borrowings	(269,882)	(152,980)
Payment of debt issuance costs	(15,430)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	60	5,193
Repurchases of common stock	(106,015)	(105,247)
Advances received from other subsidiaries	624,366
Proceeds from issuances of intercompany equity	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	1,333,099	186,966
Foreign exchange impact on cash balance	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	203,805	(12,412)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period	21,048	32,314
Cash and cash equivalents, including discontinued operations, at the beginning of the period			21,048
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period	224,853	19,902
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	145,197	148,037
Investing activities:
Capital expenditures on property and equipment	(7,697)	(8,245)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(459,534)	(45,515)
Proceeds from sale of assets	65,933
Change in other assets	0	0
Settlements of forward contracts	(4,148)	2,419
Advances provided to other subsidiaries	(624,366)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,029,812)	(51,341)
Financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings	0	0
Repayment of borrowings	0	(283)
Payment of debt issuance costs	0
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	0	0
Repurchases of common stock	0	0
Advances received from other subsidiaries	190,749
Proceeds from issuances of intercompany equity	551,451	100
Net cash provided by financing activities	742,200	(183)
Foreign exchange impact on cash balance	(9,148)	(11,378)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(151,563)	85,135
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period	270,532	120,842
Cash and cash equivalents, including discontinued operations, at the beginning of the period			$ 272,100
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period	$ 120,537	$ 205,977