Exploring Which Aspects of an Online Monolingual Learners’ Dictionary Can Be Investigated Using the Archived Web

Abstract The historical development of print editions of monolingual English learners’ dictionaries has been well documented. In contrast, the evolution of their online counterparts remains underexplored. It is argued that this is because documentation of changes to online dictionaries is scarce. The use of archived web material is posited as a means of addressing this research gap. Drawing on Lew and Szarowska’s (2017) online dictionary evaluation framework and Brügger’s (2018) concepts of webstrata and digitality, this study explores the feasibility of using archived web material for diachronic research on websites that provide access to The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Findings indicate that although existing archived material allows investigation of common research themes in lexicography, changes to archiving practices are necessary to facilitate in-depth research. To this end, techniques for exploiting existing archived web material are discussed along with suggestions for the creation of an ideal web archive.