Britannica has been a global leader in information since 1768. We’ve gone from publishing encyclopedia sets to selling CD-ROMs (which may seem even more quaint today than books) to going fully digital. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to being clear, fair, accurate, and relevant.
Why should you trust what you read at Britannica?
That’s a very fair question, and the fact that you thought to ask it means that you know that not all information is created equal. So consider:
- Britannica’s editorial staff is made up of writers and editors who have extensive knowledge in their fields, which range from geography to botany to technology and beyond.
- Britannica commissions work from experts, including leading thinkers in academia and journalism. Notable contributions have come from Nobel laureates and world leaders. Think we’re blowing smoke? Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Madeleine Albright, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others, have all written for Britannica.
It’s about our process as much as our people
- Once an article is written, it is reviewed and revised by a team of editors.
- Articles are edited to make sure that they cover the important points a reader needs to know, are written in an engaging way, and are fair, making clear not only what is known about a topic but also what may still be in dispute.
- They are fact-checked according to a 14-point checklist to ensure that we have not only captured the big picture of a topic but also verified all the details.
Making sure it stays right
Unlike the days when the encyclopedia was printed and couldn’t be changed for upwards of a year, today editors at Britannica are continuously updating and revising content.
- When news happens, the relevant Britannica articles are updated by our staff editors or supplemented by a feed from our news partners. Our goal is to go deeper than the who, what, and when of a news event. We want Britannica to be the authoritative source for the context and history you need: the why and the how.
- When we hear from readers about possible mistakes, we investigate and, when necessary, correct. (Mistakes happen, even with a highly exacting process. We are human, after all.) If you have feedback, let us know at [emailprotected]or by clicking on the feedback button that appears on articles.
Trust, but verify
If after reading all this, you’re still not sure about our process, know that we make it transparent to readers and users how, why, and when we revise articles. Just click on Article History in any article to see what has been done—from adding media to fixing the way an article appears on your phone to updating for developments and more.
FAQs
Tracy Grant is editor in chief of Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Are the editors of Encyclopædia Britannica credible? ›
They are fact-checked according to a 14-point checklist to ensure that we have not only captured the big picture of a topic but also verified all the details.
Who edited the Encyclopedia Britannica? ›
Among his predecessors as editors-in-chief were Hugh Chisholm (1902–1924), James Louis Garvin (1926–1932), Franklin Henry Hooper (1932–1938), Walter Yust (1938–1960), Harry Ashmore (1960–1963), Warren E. Preece (1964–1968, 1969–1975), Sir William Haley (1968–1969), Philip W.
Who was the main editor of the encyclopedia? ›
The French philosopher and essayist Denis Diderot served as chief editor (1745–72) of the Encyclopédie, and in that role he was one of the originators and interpreters of the Enlightenment.
Who can edit Britannica? ›
That article will then be provided to its author for review, accompanied by any questions raised during the editing process. Once returned to Britannica, the article, with any changes supplied by the author, may again be edited and reviewed by content and supervisory editors and by copy editors.
Who is behind Encyclopedia Britannica? ›
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
| Founded | 1768 Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|
| Founder | Colin Macfarquhar Andrew Bell |
| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Headquarters location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Key people | Jacqui Safra (President) Jorge Cauz (CEO) |
4 more rowsBritannica's content is among the most trusted in the world. Every article is written, and continually fact-checked, by our experts. Subscribe to Britannica Premium and unlock our entire database of trusted content today.
Is Britannica more accurate than Wikipedia? ›
Encyclopædia Britannica also argued that a breakdown of the errors indicated that the mistakes in Wikipedia were more often the inclusion of incorrect facts, while the mistakes in Britannica were "errors of omission", making "Britannica far more accurate than Wikipedia, according to the figures".
Is Encyclopedia Britannica a good reference? ›
The Encyclopedia Britannica contains carefully edited articles on all major topics. It fits the ideal purpose of a reference work as a place to get started, or to refer back to as you read and write. The articles in Britannica are written by expert authors who are both identifiable and credible.
Who has read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica? ›
After reading all of its 18 volumes, the Shah extended his royal title to include "Most Formidable Lord and Master of the Encyclopædia Britannica". Roughly a century later, Amos Urban Shirk, an American businessman, read the entire 23-volume 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica over a period of four years.
In 1964, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., acquired Merriam-Webster, Inc., as a subsidiary.
Why was Encyclopedia Britannica discontinued? ›
The Britannica direct-sales force was at the center of the business structure; the vast majority of company revenue came from this door-to-door army that fanned out across the world. But that sales method had become obsolete, so we decided to abandon it and adopt other forms of direct marketing.
Why was the Encyclopédie banned? ›
With its liberal content and intellectual ambitions, the Encyclopédie made the conservative French government feel threatened as the work increased in popularity and they eventually suspended its publication in Paris in 1759. It was also banned by the Catholic Church.
Who edited the Encyclopédie? ›
The Encyclopédie, Ou Dictionnaire Raisonné Des Sciences, Des Arts Et Des Métiers, often referred to simply as Encyclopédie or Diderot's Encyclopedia, is a twenty-eight volume reference book published between 1751 and 1772 by André Le Breton and edited by translator and philosopher Denis Diderot.
Who is the father of the encyclopaedia? ›
Saint Isidore of Seville, one of the greatest scholars of the early Middle Ages, is widely recognized as being the author of the first known encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, the Etymologiae or Origines (around 630), in which he compiled a sizable portion of the learning available at his time, both ancient and modern.
Who writes articles for Encyclopedia Britannica? ›
Subject editors write new content and select, verify, and edit content received from contributors, and they collaborate with copy editors who help to ensure the accuracy of facts, the clarity of prose, and the consistency of style in new and revised content.
How to cite the editors of Encyclopædia Britannica? ›
Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry In Print - Known Author
Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number, pp.
Who published Encyclopædia Britannica Inc? ›
The first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica was published and printed in Edinburgh for the engraver Andrew Bell and the printer Colin Macfarquhar by “a society of gentlemen in Scotland” and was sold by Macfarquhar at his printing office on Nicolson Street.
Who published 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica? ›
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
| First page of the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition |
|---|
| Country | United States |
|---|
| Publisher | Horace Everett Hooper |
| Publication date | 1910–1911 |
| Media type | Print and digital |
6 more rows