Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedias are an excellent place to begin research. They offer:
DEFINING
YOUR TOPIC
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedias are an excellent place to begin
research. They offer:
an
overview of the topic, providing
you with definitions and basic information.
Even if your instructor does not want you to use an encyclopedia as a
source in a paper, you will still find useful information within an
encyclopedia as a starting point.
a discussion of key
words, issues, events,
and people associated with your topic.
Notice the words (or subject headings) in bold type found within the
encyclopedia. These words can
help you narrow or expand your research topic.
a bibliography, or list of authoritative books on your topic. Look for these books in the library’s Voyager catalog.
General Encyclopedias:
Shelved in the Reference collection near the reference desk, general encyclopedias contain informational articles of varying length on subjects in all fields of knowledge. Examples include:
World Book Encyclopedia [short, specific articles, excellent illustrations with simple terminology.] You can learn more about this encyclopedia by visiting the following web page:
Encyclopedia Americana - more in-depth articles that are available online in full-text.]
Encyclopedia Britannica - the most scholarly general encyclopedia in our collection. You must use its index volumes to locate complete information. See a library staff member for assistance.
Special Encyclopedias:
A special encyclopedia provides more detailed information in its subject area than a general encyclopedia. Although some subject encyclopedias are called “dictionaries,” they contain far more information than the short, concise, factual entries usually found in dictionaries. A few of our many subject encyclopedias are listed below. If you need to locate an encyclopedia for a subject not listed, do an Advanced Search on the Voyager catalog using the keywords “encyclopedias and dictionaries.” Some examples are as follows:
Contemporary Authors [Ref Z1224.C58]
Contemporary Black Biography [Ref E185.96.C65 1992]
Contemporary Literary Criticism [Ref PN771.C59]
Short Story Literary Criticism [Ref PN3373.S386]
Something About the Author [Ref PN451.S6]
