Debrett's People of Today is a biographical reference tool that catalogues the lives of around 25,000 of the UK's most influential and successful people.

Launched in 1988, the People of Today book is now in its 24th edition.  Over the years the publication has evolved to include a fully searchable CD-ROM (no longer avaialble), digital edition (e-book) and website, making People of Today a valuable reference tool.

The focus of the editors has always been on making People of Today as meritocratic and contemporary as possible.  We are strong in our coverage of the younger professions such as the media, and we count among our entrants the increasing number of celebrity chefs, up-and-coming actors and music stars.  We pride ourselves on recognising early success as well as lifetime achievement.  This is made possible by the fact that it is our policy to remove entrants who no longer fulfil our criteria.....

But People of Today is not simply a list of names and job titles.  Editorial policy is to include as much professional and personal information as is available, so that the book has earned its reputation as a networking tool as well as a reference source.

Research is the first stage in the editorial schedule.  Much of our time is spent tracking down prospective entrants and requesting their details via a specially designed questionnaire.  To ensure that the information we publish is correct, we only include an entry in People of Today once the person concerned has given permission.  The details they supply are then entered onto our database in accordance with house style.

In order to ensure that our entrants' biographies are as up-to-date as possible, they are contacted at least once a year and asked to check and amend their entries.  We also use national newspapers and the internet to update our database throughout the year.

All editorial efforts are focused on making People of Today the most contemporary book of its type.  No other publication brings this breadth and depth of information together in one place to provide a snapshot of those high achievers pre-eminent in their fields.

• Share online