Digital Scholarly Editing in Practice : Making Oxford University Voltaire

In recent decades, digital scholarly editions have gained prominence, the shift from print to digital demands not only new editorial approaches but also sustained attention to issues of technical and financial sustainability. This essay examines these issues by focussing on one case-study: the creation of the digital Oxford University Voltaire.

Scholarly editions in print have long been central to literary studies, produced according to well-established methodologies. In recent decades, digital scholarly editions have gained prominence, with some publishers digitising existing print editions and others creating born-digital resources. The shift from print to digital demands not only new editorial approaches but also sustained attention to issues of technical and financial sustainability – key concerns for resources of reference. The challenge is not merely to replicate print editions in digital form but to transcend their limitations and fully exploit the affordances of the digital medium. This essay examines these issues by focussing on one case-study: the creation of the digital Oxford University Voltaire, launched in 2026, which builds upon the Complete Works of Voltaire (205 vols, 1968–2022). By tracing the transition from print to digital, the authors aim to highlight both the opportunities and complexities inherent in scholarly editing today.