How to Research Using an Encyclopedia
As Internet users, we live in an information age. Online encyclopedias are available to browse via cellular technology. Unfortunately, certain encyclopedia entries may contain misleading information. Consequently, readers must use critical thinking skills to scrutinize information while conducting encyclopedia research.
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Instructions
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Selection Process
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Determine which type of encyclopedia that you must use. Not all encyclopedias are the same. Some are written to be read by novices, while others are aimed to meet the needs of people who are considered experts within their fields. Popular encyclopedias such as "Collier's Encyclopedia" or "World Book Encyclopedia" may be suitable if writing a school research paper. Conversely, a specialized encyclopedia such as the "Encyclopedia of Fermented Fresh Milk Products" may be of little use outside of the dairy industry.
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Verify the credibility of the encyclopedia you are studying. "Wikipedia," the popular online encyclopedia that is written collaboratively by users from all around the world, is regarded by many of its users as fun to use. However, in certain instances, this encyclopedia may contain false or misleading information. If any question exists regarding the validity of material that you uncover while studying an encyclopedia, you should corroborate this research by referring to a primary source, such as a newspaper article or book that contains the same information.
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Decide whether or not you wish use an encyclopedia's most current edition. Publishers strive to fill their encyclopedias with updated information. Nevertheless, Mortimer Adler, former director of editorial planning for the "Encyclopædia Britannica," discourages inquisitive researchers from restricting themselves exclusively to updated editions, but advises them to study "ones written at different times." By referring to older editions, a reader can analyze how knowledge has evolved over time.
Usage
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Customize your search. If researching in online encyclopedias, you should shy away from utilizing available search bars to perform customized searches. If no search bar is available, you may wish to try using a manual browser search, accessed by pressing "ctrl + F" in Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. If researching in a book, you may benefit by using an encyclopedia's index to search through entries related to a chosen subject.
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Employ critical thinking skills. Researchers are sometimes required to read between the lines when reading encyclopedia entries. Because encyclopedias often omit as much material as they contain regarding a subject, a reader must employ skills of inference in order to piece together information.
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Act on suggestions. At the tail end of an encyclopedia entry, related entries or bibliographical information is often listed. This information should not be neglected by thorough researchers. Often, crucial information can be discovered if you are willing to act on a suggestion and view related encyclopedia entries.
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Take useful notes. Information can be extracted from an encyclopedia with the aid of index cards. These cards are easy to carry, as well as to organize later when reviewing material gathered from encyclopedia research. Since they are inexpensive, a different index card can be used to record each pertinent piece of information. Alternately, you may wish to photocopy pages from an encyclopedia for research purposes. Information contained in a photocopy can be easily highlighted or annotated.
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Tips & Warnings
Though free information is always nice, paying small fees for premium online services may be worth the investment for people who must frequently research entries in specialized encyclopedias.
While an encyclopedia may be packed with pretty pictures and attractive diagrams, it may only contain a sparse amount of information regarding the subject of your research. For this reason, consult a variety of encyclopedias, if possible, to weigh their respective strengths.
