Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
May 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of IHS Inc. (IHS, we, us, or our) have been prepared on substantially the same basis as our annual consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2015. In our opinion, these condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented, and such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Our business has seasonal aspects. Our fourth quarter typically generates our highest quarterly levels of revenue and profit. Conversely, our first quarter generally has our lowest levels of revenue and profit. We also experience event-driven seasonality in our business; for instance, IHS Energy CERAWeek (CERAWeek), an annual energy executive gathering, was held during our second quarter in 2015 and was held during our first quarter in 2016. Another example is the biennial release of the Boiler Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) engineering standard, which generates revenue for us predominantly in the third quarter of every other year. We most recently recognized a benefit in connection with the BPVC release in the third quarter of 2015. Due to the discontinued operations discussed in Note 8, we have adjusted prior period income statement amounts to reflect the impact of discontinued operations. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-08, which changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements. The ASU is intended to reduce the frequency of disposals reported as discontinued operations by focusing on strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. We adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2016, and the adoption of the standard did not have any significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, which establishes a comprehensive new revenue recognition model designed to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU allows for the use of either the full or modified retrospective transition method. In March, April, and May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10, and ASU 2016-12, respectively, which provide further revenue recognition guidance related to principal versus agent considerations, performance obligations and licensing, and narrow-scope improvements and practical expedients. All of these standards will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2019, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of these new standards on our consolidated financial statements, as well as which transition method we intend to use. In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, which requires that management evaluate the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. Disclosure is required if there is substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern. The standard will be effective for us in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We expect that the only impact of this ASU on our financial statements will be the change in balance sheet presentation of our debt issuance costs. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, which provides guidance about a customer's accounting for fees paid in cloud computing arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If the arrangement does not contain a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We anticipate that we will adopt this standard using the prospective transition method, and do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, which requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, which requires that lease assets and lease liabilities be recognized on the balance sheet, and that key information about leasing arrangements be disclosed. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal 2020, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, which changes several aspects of the accounting for stock-based compensation, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal 2018, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements.

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of IHS Inc. (IHS, we, us, or our) have been prepared on substantially the same basis as our annual consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2015. In our opinion, these condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented, and such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature.

Our business has seasonal aspects. Our fourth quarter typically generates our highest quarterly levels of revenue and profit. Conversely, our first quarter generally has our lowest levels of revenue and profit. We also experience event-driven seasonality in our business; for instance, IHS Energy CERAWeek (CERAWeek), an annual energy executive gathering, was held during our second quarter in 2015 and was held during our first quarter in 2016. Another example is the biennial release of the Boiler Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) engineering standard, which generates revenue for us predominantly in the third quarter of every other year. We most recently recognized a benefit in connection with the BPVC release in the third quarter of 2015.

Due to the discontinued operations discussed in Note 8, we have adjusted prior period income statement amounts to reflect the impact of discontinued operations.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-08, which changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements. The ASU is intended to reduce the frequency of disposals reported as discontinued operations by focusing on strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. We adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2016, and the adoption of the standard did not have any significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, which establishes a comprehensive new revenue recognition model designed to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU allows for the use of either the full or modified retrospective transition method. In March, April, and May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10, and ASU 2016-12, respectively, which provide further revenue recognition guidance related to principal versus agent considerations, performance obligations and licensing, and narrow-scope improvements and practical expedients. All of these standards will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2019, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of these new standards on our consolidated financial statements, as well as which transition method we intend to use.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, which requires that management evaluate the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. Disclosure is required if there is substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern. The standard will be effective for us in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We expect that the only impact of this ASU on our financial statements will be the change in balance sheet presentation of our debt issuance costs.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, which provides guidance about a customer's accounting for fees paid in cloud computing arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If the arrangement does not contain a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We anticipate that we will adopt this standard using the prospective transition method, and do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, which requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2017, although early adoption is permitted. We do not expect that the adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, which requires that lease assets and lease liabilities be recognized on the balance sheet, and that key information about leasing arrangements be disclosed. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal 2020, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, which changes several aspects of the accounting for stock-based compensation, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal 2018, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements.