Introducing the

Where can you find answers to some of history’s most teasing questions?

• when was Benjamin Disraeli born?• how have attitudes to Oliver Cromwell changed?• whose idea was the Gunpowder Plot?• who was the first woman MP?• who supported appeasement and why?• which famous people were born in my town?• who brought garden gnomes to England?

A. in the online Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

1. What is the Oxford DNB?

• 56,521 biographies of men and women who shaped all aspects of British history from the 4th century BC to the year 2004

• an up-to-date, peer reviewed, survey of the British past, written by 10,000 experts worldwide

• it’s the essential reference work for anyone interested in British history

2. Who is included?

• noteworthy people from all walks of life• from Roman Britain …

… to contemporary history

from politicians …

…to puppeteers

trade unionists …

… to teachers

and villains …

… to heroes

The Oxford DNB is published in print

60 volumes and 62 million words

and online

www.oxforddnb.com

The online edition is regularly updated and currently includes (May 2008):

• 51,614 biographies• telling the life stories of 56,521 people over 2500 years

Plus:• 10,447 portrait images – the largest collection of

national portraiture ever assembled• thousands of links to trustworthy history websites• a ‘Companion Guide’ to British history for new research

3. What can the Oxford DNB bring to teaching?

The Oxford DNB online has many classroom uses.

• People in the past: a comprehensive resource about those who shaped British history, here and overseas.

• ICT and history: a fast and efficient database, the Oxford DNB develops skills in ICT and understanding search results.

• History ‘in the round’: the Oxford DNB has lots to offer on

• the history of education• entertainment• science and medicine• religion• sport• agriculture and industry• social reform• childhood …

… and much more

• History in depth: entries on major figures include expert assessments of legacy and changing reputation.

• The Empire and multicultural Britain

Those who forged and resisted the empire, or who’ve

fashioned multicultural Britain since the middle ages.

• Women’s history: 6000 biographies of women, showing how roles have changed over time.

Find expert articles on celebrated figures, as well as first-time essays on ‘forgotten’ women.

With subjects from all walks of life, the Oxford DNB can

be used across the curriculum.

For example, in English literature:• authors from the fifth to the late twentieth centuries

• Make online links between writers active at the same

time or place.

For example: aside from Wilfred Owen, which poets took

part in the First World War?

• Sets of biographies offer valuable insight into life writing.

What makes a good biography?

Why do biographers change their opinion of a subject?

Can a biography ever be definitive or impartial?

4. How does the Oxford DNB work?

The online Oxford DNB offers three simple routes to the past:

1. find someone by name: look up a person by his or her name

2. find groups: create sets of people with common backgrounds – medieval surgeons; engineers in Manchester; or people who lived in my town

3. themes and topics: the Oxford DNB’s ‘Companion Guide’ shows how people came together to shape our history

Route 1: name searchingThe easiest way to find someone is by name.

For example, how many John Smiths are there among the Dictionary’s 56,000 subjects?

Results lists can then be re-ordered:• by birth• or death date

Then click on your chosen person

to go to the biography …

Name searching is simple and easy …

… just enter a name as you know it.

‘Dr Johnson’

or ‘the Iron Duke’

Route 2: Finding groups of people

Use the dictionary to discover people who shared common features in their lives.

You can combine a range of searches.

For example by date, place and occupation

A search for engineers

who lived in Bristol

between

1700 and 1850 ….

…. finds 16 people,

including the road-builder John McAdam (1756-1836)

who lived in Bristol between 1802 and 1826

Route 3: Themes and topics

In addition to 56,000 biographies, the Oxford DNB includes a ‘Themes’ area — a simple online guide to the British past.

• Themes connect people who held an office or took part in a historical event

• all references link to the full biography, making Themes a great way to explore British history

Themes offer lists of office holders — ideal for quick reference and fact checking, with links to the full life …

There are also feature essays — excellent introductions to historical topics and events, again with links …

You’ll find more about using the Oxford DNB for:

– teaching preparation– background and class reading– ICT development– project work and private research

for KS 3 and 4, AS- and A-Level in the rest of our ‘Learning Resources’