Michael D. C. Drout's aim for this project, as stated in the book's introduction, was to make it appealing to a wide group of readers.

He wrote that "For characters in particular, entries that rehearse attributes and deeds suffer in comparison to more sophisticated analysis where we learn something or are graced with a perceptive insight or new direction of enquiry".

Similarly, topics like "Environmentalism and Eco-Criticism" and "Environmentalist Readings of Tolkien" or "Comedy" and "Humor" may also not have warranted separate sections.

This effectively led to the Tolkien Encyclopedia's publication being unfinished, a view endorsed by its chief editor, Michael D. C. Drout.

[3] Likewise, Jennifer Goodfellow in her review noted that the entries vary significantly, with some offering only a short summary of a topic, while others are much more in-depth.

She noted that the organization of entries is not optimal, but concluded that the work was "an excellent resource for serious scholars of English literature as well as those with a general interest in Tolkien".

[5] John Garth, writing in the Times Literary Supplement, states that the encyclopedia "seethes with insight and opinion", benefiting from contributions by the major Tolkien scholars including Tom Shippey and Verlyn Flieger, while Drout's expertise in medievalism is visible in the many articles on that theme.