The Britannica was first published between 1768 and 1771 in Edinburgh , a city in Scotland , called the EncyclopÃ dia Britannica , or , A dictionary of arts and sciences , compiled upon a new plan . The Britannica was first published between 1768 and 1771 in Edinburgh as the EncyclopÃ dia Britannica , or , A Dictionary of Arts and Sciences , compiled upon a New Plan .