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Information Sources:

Encyclopaedias
   
 

Main Contents Page

About Information Literacy

STEP 1: STARTING out

STEP 2: FINDING

Information finding tools:

- Catalogue

- DDC (Dewey) system

- The Internet

- Databases (incl CD Rom)

Searching techniques:

- Boolean Logic

- Truncation/wildcards

- Phrase searching

Information sources:

- Dictionaries

- Encyclopaedias

What is it?

Types

- Atlases

- Books

- Periodicals/Journals

- Newspapers

- Audio-visual

- Internet

- Broadcast media

- Grey literature

- Conference proceedings

- Maps

- Government publications

- Standards

- Museums

- Archives

- Theses and dissertations

- Quiz

STEP 3: EVALUATE

STEP 4: Legal & ethical USE

STEP 5: COMMUNICATE


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Types of encyclopaedias

There are many different types of encyclopaedia(s), which may

  • be general or subject specific
  • be one volume or multi-volume works
  • have an index in the last volume or they may only be one alphabetical list of topics without an index
  • be numbered on the spine with numbers or with letters
  • be in electronic format on CD-ROM or on the Internet and those on the Internet may be free or may require a subscription.

Here are examples of some titles:

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t General encyclopaedias t
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t Academic American encyclopaedia
Compton's encyclopaedia & fact-index
Collier's encyclopaedia: with bibliography and index
The Dorling Kindersley children's illustrated encyclopaedia
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica
World book encyclopaedia
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t Subject encyclopaedias t
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t The concise encyclopaedia of archaeology
The encyclopaedia of alternative medicine and self-help
Grzimek's animal life encyclopedia
Illustrated encyclopedia of plants and animals
McGraw-Hill encyclopaedia of science technology
The world encyclopaedia of coffee
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t Encyclopaedias on CD-ROM t
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t Below are some examples. Ask your Librarian which encylopaedias are available on CD Rom in your Library. These will normally be kept at the audio visual department in the Library.

- World Book Speech Deluxe.

- Microsoft Encarta encyclopaedia
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t Online encyclopaedias t
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t Remember you will only be able to access these web sites if the computer you are working on is connected to the internet.

Directory of the best online encylclopaedias

Encyclopaedia Britannica
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