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FYS 120F: Practicing Democracy: Language, Identity, and Election Engagement

Online Reference Databases

What is an encyclopedia?

Encyclopedias contain unbiased background information about a variety of topics. It can be helpful to read an encyclopedia entry on your topic before you start looking for articles, books, or other sources.

Here are some examples of subject-specific encyclopedias:

Print reference sources 

Online reference sources

Openly Editable Encyclopedia

Tips for Wise Wikipedia Use

  1. Be aware that anyone can edit entries in Wikipedia.
  2. Consider it as a starting point for research; get to know your topic and identify important keywords.
  3. Look for references to reliable, published sources (in the References or Bibliography sections).
  4. Pay attention to the alert boxes and symbols. "Featured Articles" have a star to indicate their high quality; articles that are in need of updating (e.g. citation needed, newly available information, relies too much on primary sources) will be marked at the top of the page.