This volume serves as the definitive administrative and academic record for the University of Oxford during the 1986-1987 academic year. Compiled by the university administration, this reference work provides a comprehensive overview of the institution's organizational structure, faculty appointments, and degree requirements. It functions as a primary source document for researchers investigating the institutional history and academic standards of the university during the late twentieth century.

Historians and archivists utilize this text as a foundational reference for verifying faculty tenure and institutional policy during the mid-1980s. Readers frequently note the dense, technical nature of the administrative data provided within the volume.