This volume serves as the definitive index of the scholarly contributors responsible for the comprehensive biographical data contained within the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Colin Matthew and Brian F. Harrison, this reference work provides a systematic catalog of the 10,000 historians, researchers, and experts who authored the individual entries. It functions as a critical metadata tool for navigating the vast historical record compiled in the primary dictionary.

Scholars and librarians frequently utilize this index as a foundational tool for verifying the authorship of specific historical entries within the larger Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Experts highlight the text as a necessary resource for academic research and bibliographic tracking within the humanities.