HOW IS INFORMATION LOCATED IN AN ENCYCLOPEDIA? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Can we locate information in an encyclopedia ? Today, online tools have opened a world of infinite knowledge because the internet has no capacity limits. However, although its possibilities are broader, they are also more complex compared to the encyclopedia on paper.

Encyclopedias are reference texts in which the information is organized by areas of knowledge or alphabetically. These texts are usually divided into various volumes or volumes, because they cover a wide range of content.

The use of encyclopedias is one of the first steps to take when conducting an investigation. However, since encyclopedias are reference texts, the information in them is usually basic and general.

That is why these types of texts should not be the only source reviewed, but the information presented in them should be expanded on other sources.

Steps to research an encyclopedia

1- Topic

The first thing to do is select a topic to research. To better illustrate these instructions, we will select "The Russian Revolution."

2- Encyclopedia

Once we have determined the topic, we must evaluate what are the encyclopedias that we have at our disposal. Print encyclopedias are generally more detailed, lengthy, and reliable than online encyclopedias.

However, the latter are constantly updated, so the information presented is at the forefront.

Some virtual encyclopedias are:

- Wikipedia.

- The Encyclopedia Britannica.

- The Cervantes Library.

- The Encyclopedia Columbia.

3- Locating the information in the encyclopedia

If our encyclopedia is printed, the next thing we must do is determine if it is arranged alphabetically or in areas.

If ordered alphabetically, we go to the “R” section of “Russia” or “Revolution”. If ordered by areas, go to the "History" section.

Once we have the right volume, we go to the index until we find the topic that interests us.

Good encyclopedias structure the broader topics, such as "Russia", into sections and subsections, such as economics, history, prominent figures, among others. These titles will help us find the specific topic that interests us.

In case the encyclopedia is online, we just have to go to the search bar and write keywords about the topic that interests us.

4- Complement the investigation

Once we have found the information in the encyclopedia, we can expand by looking for other entries in the same encyclopedia or by consulting other more specialized books.

For example, if we are investigating the Russian revolution, we should investigate other elements such as "the Romanoffs", "Marx", "Leninism", "Bolsheviks", "Communism", among others.

5- Cite the source

An important part of any investigation is citing the source from which the information was obtained. This gives truth to our research and prevents us from committing plagiarism.

The citation must include the author's details (if they are presented), the name of the article, the name of the encyclopedia, the year of publication, the article page number and the publisher.

References

1. How to use an encyclopedia (with pictures). Retrieved on May 10, 2017, from wikihow.com.
2. The Encyclopedia Method. Retrieved on May 10, 2017, from crlsresearchguide.org.
3. Finding Background Information. Retrieved on May 10, 2017, from library.buffalo.edu.
4. Top Encyclopedia Sites for Student Research Papers. Retrieved on May 10, 2017, from study.com.
5. Types of information sources. Retrieved on May 10, 2017, from lib.vt.edu.
6. How to Cite an Encyclopedia. Retrieved on May 10, 2017, from bibme.org.
7. Uses of an Encyclopedia. Retrieved on May 10, 2017, from penandthepad.com.