Encyclopedia articles give a broad overview and background information. Each article, written by a subject specialist in the field, provides an introduction to the subject and includes a selective bibliography of books and articles on the subject. A general encyclopedia is often the best place to start research because it contains information on almost every subject. Specialized encyclopedias are focused on specific subject fields.
The Wikipedia is available free on the Internet, but anyone can post articles on theWikipedia. The information may not be reliable.
The library provides several excellent online encyclopedias . These are a great starting point for background information, and they provide reliable information.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Full-text information from about 30 encyclopedias on bioethics, health, psychology, science, and more
Full-text information from over 200 encyclopedias and dictionaries covering all subjects.
Full-text information from over 300 encyclopedias and other reference books.
Full-text information from this standard encyclopdedia and definitions from Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.
See more general encyclopedias.
Example:
Send comments to: Lynn Cameron
© James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA