1. An encyclopedia is a repository of information. Usually each entry is a systematic overview of the topic and a summary of human knowledge on that subject. It is organized to be accessible to most users, and it usually is organized to illuminate relationships between different areas of understanding. Encyclopedia information is organized in three ways:
a. Fact-finding
b. General background information about a topic – most references will serve as a guide to other entries in the encyclopedia or outside sources of information.
c. “Preresearch” information -- allow the student to become aware of the bigger issues and how a topic fits into this context.
PRINT EXAMPLE:Encyclopedia of Modern Asia
2. Use online encyclopedias to find topics which interest you.
Encyclopedia entries will usually refer you to other articles of interest on that topic.
ONLINE EXAMPLES: A search on Maud Gonne in the encyclopedia will refer you to articles on W.B. Yeats, Sean MacBride, etc.:
- Encyclopedia Britannica (see example below)
- Encyclopedia of Sociology
- Encyclopedia of World Biography
- Wikipedia
http://www.asiatours.net/burma/
Dictionaries
1. Basic dictionaries contain an alphabetical list of words with their definitions.
Biographical dictionaries contain alphabetical entries of people with their biographies. Other types of dictionaries include historical, geographical, cultural, etc.
PRINT EXAMPLE:Historical Dictionary of Buddhism
(A dictionary which contains an alphabetical listing of Buddhist terms and their definitions)
2. Use online dictionaries to find more specialized information.
ONLINE EXAMPLE:
Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences (see example -->)
Handbooks
1. Also called a manual, a handbook serves as a handy guide to a particular subject
Often, large amounts of information about a subject are found in a single volume. They usually include examples, illustrations, or both. They are often specialized and useful to someone studying a particular topic
PRINT EXAMPLE:A Handbook of Political Sociology (see image below)
(This handbook provides the first complete survey of the vibrant field of political sociology. Part I explores the theories of political sociology. Part II focuses on the formation, transitions, and regime structure of the state. Part III takes up various aspects of the state that respond to pressures from civil society)
