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New online contents, May 2009

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Online edition
Edited by Lawrence Goldman
Current version: May 2009

Preface to the online release, May 2009   |   Introduction to the online edition   |   List of editors and staff


New from May 2009
Biographies   |   Themes   |   Corrections and additions   |   Numbers

New biographies

87 lives of people who shaped British life and died in or before 2005:
> Full list of new lives


New themes


20 reference groups

Reference groups explain the membership, aims, and influence of historically defined groups across all periods of British history.

Full list of new reference groups


Corrections and additions to existing biographies


478 changes have been made within the dictionary's 65,000,000 words. Revisions include:

  • corrections to known factual errors
  • addition of new information (for example family members' life dates) to keep the Oxford DNB continuously up to date

Revised biographies are identified by a citation at the foot of the article screen:

  • J. A. Smith, 'Brown, Jane (1900–1950)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/123, accessed 26 February 2009]

Previous versions of amended biographies are also available online.

The Oxford DNB from May 2009

  • 52,003 articles in which are told the life stories of 56,949 individuals
  • 6,040 entries on women: that is 10 per cent of all lives and 28 per cent of first-time entrants to the dictionary across all periods
  • 10,549 subjects with a portrait image
  • 13,218 contributors (including contributors to the first DNB where they remain as signatories of revised entries)
  • 452 Theme articles (reference lists, groups and feature essays)

OXFORD DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY (ONLINE EDITION)
ISSN 1747-1001      ISBN 0-19-861412-8


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