marquis biographies online (mbo)

About the Database

Marquis Biographies Online, a 'high-speed', searchable online database, features comprehensive profiles on over 1.6 million of the most accomplished individuals from all fields of endeavor including: government, business, science and technology, the arts, entertainment, and sports. Recognized globally since 1899 as the premier biographical data provider, Marquis Who's Who now gives you the ability to conduct powerful searches of its entire database of achievers from around the globe. Search by name, gender, occupation, geography, hobbies and interests, religion and much more.

No longer do subscribers need to wait until a new book is published to get updated profiles – the site is updated daily! Web subscribers will now have the most up-to-date biographical information available. Of course, Marquis Who’s Who print volumes will still be available for subscribers who want to keep their library collection up-to-date.

With a subscription to Marquis Biographies Online, you get access to current biographies of all individuals who appeared in any one of the following Marquis print titles since 1985:

Who’s Who in America
Who’s Who in the World
Who's Who in Asia
Who’s Who of American Women
Who’s Who in Science and Engineering
Who’s Who in American Law
Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare
Who’s Who in Finance and Business
Who’s Who in American Nursing (Formerly Who's Who in Finance & Industry)
Who’s Who in 20th Century America
Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America
Who’s Who in American History
Who’s Who in American Politics
Who’s Who in the East
Who’s Who in the Midwest
Who’s Who in the South and Southwest
Who’s Who in the West
Who’s Who in Media and Communications
Who’s Who in Entertainment
Who’s Who in American Education
Who’s Who in American Nursing
Who’s Who in Religion
Who’s Who Among Human Services Professionals
Who’s Who in American Art
Who’s Who in Corporate America

We’ve digitized biographies from our archive of Who Was Who in America volumes (1607-1985), forming an online segment called Who’s Who in American History representing 400 years of biographical history. A subscription to Marquis Biographies Online now includes 110,000 “life stories” from 1607 to the present. Learn about inventors, explorers, colonists, abolitions, important figures in business, government, the military, education, literature and other remarkable people who helped shape American history.

Marquis Biographies Online has many features not available from any other biographical data source:

Access to over 1.6 million biographies taken from 24 Marquis Who's Who print titles.
Daily updates – exclusive to Marquis Who’s Who
Concise and complete biographies nicely presented using subject headings (i.e., occupation, creative works, etc.)
Combine up to 15 criteria to create highly targeted searches
Comprehensive biographical coverage including the following data elements: birth information, family, education and degree, career history, creative works, awards, military history, achievements, current memberships, interests/hobbies, and contact information
Print ability
Web-based search engine with remote access – no installation necessary

How Marquis Who's Who Candidates are Selected and Data is Updated

The primary selection criteria for Marquis Who's Who Publications are: 1. Position of leadership held at significant organization, 2. educational attainments, 3. noteworthy achievement in creative works (writings, music, television, movies, etc.) 4. significant publishing or public speaking experience, or 5. contributions to the community. For listees in Who's Who in America, these accomplishments tend to be national in scope.

Marquis Who's Who identifies candidates for inclusion through a variety of means including colleague, family, and even self-nominations that we receive though our web site and through the mail. We have a research staff that researches "high profile" candidates to ensure that the upper echelons in all fields are being represented. Marquis also acquires membership lists to prestigious trade and professional associations. The purpose of the initial stage is to identify a core group of individuals whom Marquis believes may have the requisite qualifications for listing.

After the candidates are identified, Marquis invites them to submit their biographical data for consideration. The submitted data is then reviewed by our editorial staff in conjunction with listing standards developed initially with the first volume of Who's Who in America in 1899 and refined yearly ever since. The listing standards cover a broad spectrum of professions, with over 800 occupational designations supported in Marquis directories.

Marquis Who's Who biographees have the opportunity to update their biographies several times throughout the year. Our research staff also regularly collects and updates biographical data. Now, since Marquis Biographies Online is updated daily, web subscribers benefit by having the most current data possible.