Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Finding a Topic
• Part 2 of 3: Exploring the Topic Further
• Part 3 of 3: Links to encyclopedias
• What do you need

Encyclopedias are alphabetical collections of reference information. They consist of many volumes due to the wide scope of the topics covered. Often, using an encyclopedia is the first step in the study of a particular subject for scientific or personal purposes. They are also used to find additional sources of information.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Finding a Topic

1. 1 Ask your consulting bibliographer about the available encyclopedias. Famous encyclopedias include the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Great Soviet Encyclopedia and the Columbia Encyclopedia. Also, instead of library printed publications, the online encyclopedia Wikipedia is often used.
   • In print, the degree of reliability and fact-checking is always higher than in online sources; but for greater accuracy, volumes of the encyclopedia need to be republished frequently.
   • Online encyclopedias like Wikipedia are updated regularly. The reliability of sources varies greatly and depends on the specific topic.
2. 2 Choose the person, place, or subject you want to explore. If you do not have extensive knowledge of the subject, start with the most general term like “gardening”, “Russia” or “linguistics”.
3. 3 Use the first letters of the word to search for the required volume of the encyclopedia. For example, to find information about “Russia”, select the volume with the letter “P”. In the section with books arranged in alphabetical order, find the desired volume with the letter “P”.
4. 4 Take the volume you want. Find the word you need among the topics highlighted in bold.
5. 5 Photocopy the required pages. Most encyclopedias cannot be taken home. After making a copy of the pages, replace the volume.
   • When using the online encyclopedia, you can type selected information and then study.

Part 2 of 3: Exploring the Topic Further

1. 1 Highlight important terms and words in the first article with a marker. Make notes by writing down important information in the margins of the photocopy.
2. 2 Find additional topics to search for among the highlighted words. Write down up to five names or titles for further study. For example, when studying Russia, you can write the following: “Vladimir Lenin”, “Bolsheviks”, “Kremlin”.
   • When using an online encyclopedia, simply click on the underlined words to follow the links.
3. 3 Return to the bookshelves. Find volumes by the first letters of the written words. For example, to find “Bolsheviks”, you need a volume with the letter “B”, and to search for “Vladimir Lenin,” you need to find a volume with the letter “L”.
   • Encyclopedic articles are sorted by the names of the desired individuals.
4. 4 Photocopy the required pages. Put the volumes back in place.
5. 5 Keep highlighting text, making notes, and looking for new topics for more information on the subject.
6. 6 Look for links to other books. Reread these books to find out more. For example, to learn more about Vladimir Lenin, check out his April Theses after you finish writing an encyclopedic article.

Part 3 of 3: Links to encyclopedias

1. 1 Requirements for the design of bibliographic references should be found out from your teacher or supervisor. In Russia, such requirements are regulated by GOSTs; in the USA, MLA and Chicago style standards are used.
2. 2 Take the volume of the encyclopedia and open the first page. Write down the author, name of the encyclopedia, place of publication, publisher and year of publication. Also write down the topics and pages used.
   • In some encyclopedias, authors are not listed.If one of the above points is missing in the book, you can skip it.
3. 3 To make a link in accordance with MLA standards, enter the author's surname and first name separated by commas. "Title of the article" and the title of the encyclopedia (in italics). Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication. Page numbers. Edition."
   • For example, “Murphy, Karen. "Russia" Encyclopedia Britannica. London: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009.504-509. Edition.
   • If there are several authors, then the surname and first name of the first should be indicated. Then the names and surnames of the remaining authors are listed.
4. 4 To make a link to an online encyclopedia according to MLA norms, enter the author's surname and first name separated by commas. "Title of the article" and the title of the encyclopedia (in italics). Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication. Name of the site. Web. Access date as day, month and year.
   • For example, Murphy, Karen. "Russia" Encyclopedia Britannica. London: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009. EncyclopediaBritannica.com. Web. March 24, 2014.
   • Try to find all the information provided. If not, skip the item. In online encyclopedias, authors are rarely indicated.
5. 5 To make a link according to the Chicago style standards, enter the author's surname and first name separated by commas. Encyclopedia title (in italics), Edition number. "Article title". Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication.
   • For example, Murphy, Karen. Encyclopedia Britannica, Ed. 208. “Russia”. London: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009.
6. 6 To make a link to an online encyclopedia according to Chicago style standards, specify the author's surname and first name separated by commas. Encyclopedia title (in italics), Edition number. "Article title." Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication. Link (access date: month, day, year).
   • For example, Murphy, Karen. Encyclopedia Britannica, Ed. 208. “Russia”. London: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009.http: //www.encyclopediabritannica.com/russia (March 24, 2014).

What do you need

• Encyclopedia
• Xerox
• Marker
• Pencil