Did you know you can access the encyclopedia World Book Online through the Reference subject area in the Research Databases section of our website?

Encyclopedias can be an invaluable starting point for finding information about a particular topic. For example, let’s say you are writing about how family-life has changed over time for a sociology class. Using the article in World Book titled “Family” will allow you to learn about changes in the family-unit from ancient times through today in just a few pages, but don’t stop after reading the encyclopedia article! From there, the specific topics covered in the article can be used to search for more in-depth information in books and articles.

Wikipedia can be used in the same fashion. When using Wikipedia the citations at the end of each article are particularly useful for finding more information on the topic. Just make sure you check with your instructor about what types of resources are appropriate for your assignment.