Types of Sources: Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias contain brief factual articles on many subjects. There are two types of encyclopedias -- general and subject.

• General encyclopedias provide overviews on a wide variety of topics. 
• Subject encyclopedias contain entries focusing on one field of study.

Use an encyclopedia:

• when looking for brief background or overview information on a topic
• when trying to find key ideas, important dates or concepts

Wikipedia

Use wisely and with a bit of skepticism! Verify using other possibly more reliable sources. Professors at WPI generally don't want to see Wikipedia references in bibliographies. Wikipedia can be a useful starting point as you look for ideas of what you want to learn more about, but it is not a source that you will cite in your paper. Remember this rule: Wikipedia is a good place to start but not a good place to finish.

Authors are:

varied, some are scholars.

Sources are:

sometimes cited.

Entries are:

sometimes short, designed to give an overview of a subject

Many encyclopedias are available online.