Using Encyclopedias

An encyclopedia is an excellent resource for starting research on a topic. Encyclopedia articles give you introductory information on a topic. This information may help you choose a topic, or give you ideas for broadening or narrowing a topic you have already chosen. To use one of the Library's print encyclopedias, go to the Reference section, located in the new building. General encyclopedias covering all subject areas are located in the A section. You may also find subject-specific encyclopedias in appropriate sections of the Library. Alternatively, you may use an online encyclopedia. The remainder of this tutorial will guide you through an online encyclopedia search.

Grolier Online Encyclopedia Americana

The online encyclopedia PCCC subscribes to is Grolier Online Encyclopedia Americana. If you are off-campus, you will need an ID and Password to access the encyclopedia. Please contact a Librarian for details.

Follow this link to connect to Grolier Online in a new window. Click on the link that says Encyclopedia Americana. You will then see a very simple search screen. Type in your topic and click the Search button. You will now see a list of Encyclopedia articles that contain your topic in the title. If no articles appear, go back to the search screen and type in a more general topic, or select the Full Text Search radio button underneath the search box.

When you have found an appropriate article, click on the title. You will now see the full article. Depending on your topic, the article may be short or very long. Longer articles may require you to read several pages. In this case, you would click the More button on the top or bottom of the page.

While the Encyclopedia articles are of high quality on their own, Grolier Online contains several features that make this Encyclopedia even more valuable. These features are located near the top of page when you are viewing a full article. The Table of Contents link provides an outline of the article, and allows you to skip to a certain section if you wish. The Web link provides a list of related Web sites on the topic - a good starting point for Internet research. The Related Articles link provides a list of articles in the Encyclopedia that are related to your topic. The Periodicals link leads you to a list of full-text articles on your topic published in various periodicals. This is another excellent leap into more detailed research. If your topic is about a place, you may also see links to Maps, Flags, Journal (current events), and Tables in your article. On the upper right hand side of the screen, opposite the features just described, is a link for Print/E-Mail.

Also see:
- Reference Sources (California St. Univ. system)