Hovedutgaven

Hovedutgaven, literally “the main edition,” is a term used in Norwegian publishing and bibliographic practice to denote the edition of a work regarded as the authoritative or primary text. It is the edition that should be cited in bibliographies and catalogs and that most closely reflects the version approved by the author and publisher for initial release.

In practice, the hovedutgaven may be the first edition or another edition deemed definitive due to its textual content, pagination, illustrations, or supplementary material. When a work appears in multiple editions—such as reprints, revised editions, or translations—the hovedutgaven remains the standard reference for textual integrity, while other editions are described separately as variants or later forms.

In library cataloging, the hovedutgaven is often identified in the bibliographic record to guide users toward the authoritative text. Notes may indicate the existence of other editions, translations, or revised versions, but the hovedutgaven is the text typically used for scholarly citation and textual comparison.

The concept is common in Norwegian bibliographic practice and is closely related to the English notions of authoritative edition or principal edition. While the designation can be subjective and context-dependent, it serves to establish a stable basis for citation, study, and textual analysis across editions.