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
Britannica'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.
Who is the editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica? ›
Tracy Grant is editor-in-chief of Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Can anyone edit a Britannica article? ›
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. The article will then be published, and the author's name will be associated with it in the article's history.
Are Encyclopedia Britannica worth anything? ›
The Internet has rendered vintage encyclopedias obsolete and today the value is primarily from people looking to have a set similar to the one that they grew up with. A complete 1967 white britannica encyclopedia sells for $50 or so at auction and for $120 to $150 from antique book dealers.
Is it OK to cite Encyclopedia Britannica? ›
Major reference books (major dictionaries and encyclopedias, i.e. World Book) can be cited with a note in text rather than in a reference. 1. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. "salvation."
Which is more reliable Wikipedia or Britannica? ›
For serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, 4 were found in Wikipedia, and 4 in Britannica (1:1). The study concluded that "Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries", although Wikipedia's articles were often "poorly structured".
Who runs Encyclopedia Britannica? ›
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Under the leadership of Jorge Cauz, Britannica and Merriam-Webster have been transformed from iconic print brands into two of the world's largest and most trusted digital media platforms, serving a global audience of more than 150 million monthly users.
Is Britannica written by experts? ›
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.
Is Britannica owned by Merriam-Webster? ›
Merriam-Webster dictionary, any of various lexicographic works published by the G. & C. Merriam Co. —renamed Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, in 1982—which is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and which since 1964 has been a subsidiary of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Does Britannica count as a scholarly source? ›
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.
Trust Britannica Library as a reliable source with objective, fact-check, and unbiased content that is written by experts and vetted through rigorous editorial process. Take a look at our editorial process which serves as the backbone of our products, experiences, and content.
What is the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit? ›
The subtitle of Wikipedia is the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
What can I do with my 40 year old encyclopedia? ›
Recycling encyclopedias
Call your local library and ask if you may donate your set to be sold. Put it up for giveaway on freecycle.org. If they're really old -- say, more than 100 years -- call a rare bookseller and ask if they're worth anything. Find out if a local recycler takes them.
When did Britannica stop making encyclopedias? ›
In March 2012, the company announced that the 2010 edition would be the last printed version.
Are old encyclopedias worth keeping? ›
Old encyclopedias are attracting collectors primarily for two reasons: scarcity and information. As is the case with all rare books and other collectibles, the more scarce an edition is, the more likely it is to have a bigger spread between supply and demand, and thus the higher the monetary value.
Is Britannica a reliable source academic? ›
Trust Britannica Library as a reliable source with objective, fact-check, and unbiased content that is written by experts and vetted through rigorous editorial process. Take a look at our editorial process which serves as the backbone of our products, experiences, and content.
Is Britannica peer edited? ›
Britannica is an English peer-reviewed proprietary general encyclopedia with some content freely available online.
Is the encyclopedia a reliable source? ›
Published encyclopedias, either in print or online, are written by experts and reviewed by experts to insure that the information is accurate, complete, and useful. Wikipedia is not published in the traditional sense because it does not go through a formal editorial process.
Why did Encyclopedia Britannica fail? ›
The Encyclopaedia Britannica did not “fail.” They changed their publishing model from print to on-line, because that's the direction technology was heading. An on-line encyclopedia can be consulted anywhere and updated much more readily than a print version.
