Oxford University Press Celebrates Launch of First Online-only Product

(Press Release) New York City — Oxford University Press (OUP) celebrated the launch of Oxford Bibliographies Online Wednesday with a reception in New York City.

Oxford Bibliographies Online—a series of intuitive and easy-to-use "ultimate reading lists"—is designed to help users navigate vast seas of information. OUP's first online-only product goes beyond search algorithms to present bibliographies in several disciplines selected by leading subject experts and vetted by the highest professional standards.

In recent years, the explosion of original research and its increasing accessibility through new technologies is a blessing for scholars—but also a tremendous challenge. For faculty, students and librarians querying new areas of research, the most pressing challenge for researchers at all levels is sifting through and managing the immense amount of material available online.

"With the growing ease of digital access and dissemination, scholars and students are increasingly overwhelmed by the enormous volume of academic material available to them," noted Nigel Portwood, OUP's Chief Executive. "The need for responsible and sophisticated filters has become critical. Oxford Bibliographies Online represents a significant step forward in providing meaningful navigation through the vast body of research material accessible on the web."

The result of extensive interviews with librarians, numerous focus groups and market research, Oxford Bibliographies Online extend a centuries-long mission of supporting excellence in research, scholarship and education.

"Oxford could not have pulled a project of this scope and magnitude together without the exceptional cooperation of the hundreds of scholars who served as editorial board members approving and vetting content, editor-in-chiefs of the modules, and the contributors themselves who sifted through the myriad scholarship out there in each discipline," remarked Tim Barton, President of OUP USA. "We here at OUP, and I suspect the academy at large, owe these scholars a debt of gratitude for their help in delivering OBO on such a tight deadline. I'm a little envious, I wish I had access to such a remarkable tool when I was at University."