Dictionaries and Reference

The period between 1970 and 2004 witnessed a revolution in the preparation and distribution of dictionary and reference titles; computerization had enormous implications not only upon editors’ working methods and the capital investment requirements from the Press, but also upon the way in which titles were purchased and accessed by readers. The Press responded by adapting swiftly to market needs and carefully managing questions of funding, scheduling, and the logistics of in-house editorial staff. The chapter assesses OUP’s dictionary and reference publishing programme in the context of technological developments, while also considering the growing value of the paperback market and the intensifying competition for market share. The chapter explores case studies of particular reference publications, including a selection of foreign-language dictionaries, thesauri and encyclopedias, as well as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and the Oxford English Dictionary and related titles.