Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press (OUP) is now one of the largest publishers in the UK, and the largest university press in the world. It publishes in a variety of different languages, for all levels, and across virtually the whole range of academic disciplines. The OUP is based at Oxford University in the UK but it also has operations in over 60 countries worldwide.

The first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, only two years after Caxton set up the first printing press in England. It wasn’t until 1586, however, that the University itself obtained a decree from the Star Chamber confirming its privilege to print books.

The University established its right to print the King James Authorized Version of the Bible in the seventeenth century. This Bible Privilege formed the basis of a profitable business throughout the next two centuries and was the spur to OUP's expansion.

The OUP is probably most known for its dictionaries and reference works particularly for its publication of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Printing of the first edition began in 1884 and finished in 1928. It aims to show not only the current meanings of words, but also to trace their development through time.

The main criteria in evaluating a new title are its quality and the contribution it makes to the furtherance of scholarship and education.