Library Research Skills
Encyclopaedias
Encyclopaedias are collections of short, factual entries often written by different contributors who are knowledgeable about the topic. There are two types of encyclopaedias -- general and subject. General encyclopaedias provide concise overviews on a wide variety of topics. Subject encyclopaedias contain in-depth entries focusing on one field of study. The best place to find an encyclopaedia is in a library. However, some encyclopaedias can be found on the Web.
Use an Encyclopaedia
- when looking for background information on a topic
- when trying to find key ideas, important dates or concepts
Examples
- Encyclopaedia Americana (general encyclopaedia)
- Encyclopaedia Britannia (general encyclopaedia)
- African-American Encyclopaedia (subject encyclopaedia)
Copyright (c) 2005 by Susan Kelly, Wexford County Library Service.
Adapted and modified (5th December 2005) from TILT, Texas Information Literacy Tutorial. This material is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the TILT Open Publication Licence. (the latest version is presently available at http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/yourtilt/).
