- 5 outstanding features of the encyclopedia
- 1- They are organized with indexes
- 2- They are a vast source of information
- 3- They are reliable sources of information
- 4- They are temporary
- 5- They are written by many experts
- References
Some of the characteristics of encyclopedias are their organization in alphabetical or thematic indexes, the writing of their contents by experts and the temporality of part of their contents.
Encyclopedias have existed for two thousand years. It can be said that one of its creators was the Italian Marco Terentio Varrón, his books served as a model for the creation of encyclopedias.
Since that time they have evolved in many ways such as the language in which they are written, their size or their format - electronic or on paper.
Encyclopedias are reference works that contain a series of articles on a specific topic or variety of topics. They are divided into articles or entries.
Generally encyclopedias come in printed version but there are also online encyclopedias. Encyclopedias are a widely consulted source of information.
One of the best known encyclopedias is the Encyclopedia Britannica, which has been published continuously since 1768.
5 outstanding features of the encyclopedia
1- They are organized with indexes
Encyclopedia readers come to them because they need to dig deeper or learn about a topic. They contain many entries on a specific topic, for this reason they must be very well organized.
The encyclopedia reader will be guided by an alphabetical index that will help them find a topic of interest.
This index is at the beginning or end of the encyclopedia. Also, the encyclopedia can be organized thematically and each category can have its own index.
2- They are a vast source of information
Encyclopedias are created to contain all the information on a topic in one place.
Likewise, they can contain entries on a specific or varied topic. For example: there are encyclopedias on biology and there are others that only focus on human biology.
Due to the amount of information they contain, encyclopedias are usually huge books that are divided into several volumes.
Unlike printed encyclopedias, online ones contain all this information in an online format. They fulfill the same function as printed encyclopedias.
3- They are reliable sources of information
Because encyclopedias help us answer questions, it is very important that they are a reliable source of knowledge. They must be clear and precise to avoid confusing the reader.
Some encyclopedias contain exact answers on specific topics. For example, the Guinness Record book contains all possible answers about world records set by the human species.
4- They are temporary
The nature of encyclopedias, both print and online, is temporary. They must be updated regularly because knowledge changes.
The information they contain must be up-to-date and not out of date. This especially applies to medical and scientific encyclopedias that contain topics of interest that must be continually updated.
The printed encyclopedias come out every year and the online ones are updated regularly.
5- They are written by many experts
Encyclopedias entries are written by experts on the topic being developed.
They ensure that the information presented is verified. Also, encyclopedias do not have a single author, they are a work done by many people who are experts in certain topics.
References
- (s / f). Characteristics of an Encyclopedia. Recovered from: penandthepad.com
- COCONI, A. (s / f). The Advantages of Encyclopedias. Recovered from: penandthepad.com
- BROWN, T. (s / f). Uses of an Encyclopedia. Recovered from: penandthepad.com
- HAMILTON, S. (s / f). How to Write an Encyclopedia. Recovered from: penandthepad.com
- PREECE, W & COLLISON, R. Encyclopaedia. Recovered from: www.britannica.com