This volume serves as a comprehensive annual record and reference guide for the academic and administrative activities of Oxford University during the 1979 calendar year. The Oxford University Press compiles this data to provide a formal account of university officials, departmental structures, and historical milestones relevant to the institution. It functions as a primary source document for researchers interested in the institutional history and organizational hierarchy of the university during this specific period.

Historians and university archivists utilize these almanacks as foundational reference materials for tracking the evolution of academic appointments and institutional governance. Readers frequently note the dense, factual nature of the text, which prioritizes administrative accuracy over narrative prose.