This new encyclopedia, reviewed here in its electronic version through Oxford Reference, is produced as a part of the online Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics (OREP) (http://politics.oxfordre.com/). At the time of this review, this encyclopedia featured 445 articles, 92 of which are available free, with the remainder accessible to only subscribers. The OREP is in turn part of Oxford Research Encyclopedias (ORE) (http://oxfordre.com/). This major Oxford University Press online publishing initiative launched in 2017 currently spans 26 areas of academic study as diverse as African history, environmental science, literature and psychology. Articles are from numerous contributors and are peer-reviewed. Articles in component encyclopedias with as yet limited content, currently the majority, are treated as in “preview” and made freely available. Articles in the seven subject areas that have more developed content, which include, in addition to politics, the research encyclopedias for American history, communication, Latin American history and religion, plus the Encyclopedia of Social Work and the Oxford Classical Dictionary (RR 2016/278), are mainly restricted to subscribers. Oxford University Press appears to be producing a number of online and print spinoffs from ORE. As well as The Oxford Encyclopedia of Empirical International Relations Theory here reviewed, there is The Oxford Encyclopedia of Foreign Policy Analysis (Thies, 2018) which may be regarded as a companion work.
All titles in the ORE range are based on the contributions from noted scholars marshalled by a prominent editor. The Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Empirical International Relations Theory, and also the entire Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, is William R. Thompson, a distinguished Professor and a Donald A. Rogers Professor of Political Science at Indiana University, Bloomington. Thompson is a former editor of International Studies Quarterly and author/joint author of numerous books, the most recent of which include Transition Scenarios: China and the United States in the Twenty-First Century (Rapkin and Thompson, 2013) and How Rivalries End (Rasler et al., 2013). Contributors appear to be mainly drawn from American universities, although there are a reasonable number from academic institutions in other countries, including a sprinkling from the UK. Somewhat annoyingly, when using the online version of the encyclopedia through Oxford Reference, it does not seem possible to view the list of contributors. The reviewer was only able to display an A-Z list through the promotional material for the resource on the Oxford University Press marketing website.
This anomaly, resulting from the rather pared-down interface to the resource offered in Oxford Reference, also appears to apply to other content one may have expected to be able to access and view. Using the credentials supplied for the purposes of review, credentials that in all other respects appear to offer the same level of access to that available to subscribers, the reviewer was unable to locate any preliminary matter to the Encyclopedia such as a preface or introduction. One assumes, given a print version has been published, that such front matter has been produced. However, unless something obvious was overlooked, there did not appear to be any means of accessing this from within the Oxford Reference interface.
This apparent lack of introductory material meant that the reviewer also had to resort to Oxford University Press’s promotional material for further guidance on the encyclopedia’s purpose and scope. The marketing page description (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-encyclopedia-of-empirical-international-relations-theory-9780190632588?cc=us&lang=en&#) says that it “provides an authoritative overview of the central approaches, methodologies, and topics of the field” and is a “comprehensive examination of both classic and emerging theories”. It also says that there are “over 150 entries”. Alphabetically these begin with The Aftermaths of Civil Conflicts and conclude with Women and Terrorism. Along the way we have topics as diverse as: The Concept of Deterrence and Deterrence Theory; Immigration and International Political Economy; Natural Resources, Climate Change and Conflict; and Understanding Ethnic Conflict. Articles are lengthy, divided into sections by boldfaced headings, supported by extensive bibliographies and often accompanied by notes. As the encyclopedia’s title indicates, the focus is on the theoretical. The tone is scholarly, and the intended audience is clearly those studying international relations at some depth.
The online version has all the usual navigational features of an Oxford University Press reference work available in Oxford Reference. Clickable in-text citations lead to the full reference in the bibliographical listings. A “Find This Resource” option for each item links to Google Preview and WorldCat. An “In This Entry box” to the left margin has clickable links to each section of the entry, providing a handy alterative to scrolling through the text. A “Related Content” link in the same box links to seven other works in Oxford Reference. One of these is The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics and International Relations (RR 2010/014), a source which may well help more novice students using this work find shorter, more digestible, summaries of some of the theories and issues discussed. Other supporting features are of the standard type such as print, citation export and email options. The interface is clean and uncluttered and generally responded quickly to the reviewer’s trial searches.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Empirical International Relations Theory is clearly a major work of scholarship that is unrivalled in its range and depth of coverage. With The Oxford Encyclopedia of Foreign Policy Analysis, it will form one of the major works of reference in the area of international relations. As the OREP expands and develops, both these subsidiary encyclopedias will also become key components of this ambitious wider undertaking. As it now stands, any academic institution supporting programmes in international relations, especially where there is substantive focus on the subject’s theoretical rather than historical aspects, will want to provide access to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Empirical International Relations Theory. One assumes that the online version here reviewed will be the medium of choice for most institutions rather than the print volumes. Not only is the print version an expensive purchase, but it will not mesh with the wider OREP. The OREP itself, as it grows and develops, will surely be an essential resource for all libraries serving institutions where politics and related subjects are studied or researched.
