UWM Libraries Research and Course Guides: WIDMAYER WSH ENG 102 : Critical Writing, Reading and Research: Using Encyclopedias

Use Search@UW to find encyclopedias

Find articles, UW books, digital collections & media

Search@UW

When searching for a subject encyclopedia in the library, we can expand the words we use to find a reference source: e.g. "(encyclopedia or dictionary or bibliography or handbook or index) and food"

Using Encyclopedias Effectively

Getting the most out of an encyclopedia means understanding how to search. Here are our recommendations:

When searching a general encyclopedia, keep it simple - e.g. "food"
When searching a subject encyclopedia, you can be a bit more specific - e.g. "holiday meals"

General Encyclopedias

Britannica Online School Edition
Britannica Online School Edition gives teachers and students instant access to four complete encyclopedias and other resources that ensure consistency with classroom topics and age-appropriate language. This unique reference and learning suite also offers high-quality online learning materials that have been developed by teachers and curriculum experts. Designed for all levels of learning from elementary school through high school, Britannica Online School Edition offers students an easy-to-use gateway to the vast resources of EncyclopÃ¦dia
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia has over 25,000 encyclopedia articles covering a variety of subject areas (no illustrations). Search by title if you have a specific topic.

Wikipedia

Subject Encyclopedias

Reference Universe
Reference Universe is an index to nearly 50,000 major reference works such as subject encyclopedias and scholarly compendia, for both electronic and print reference works. Deep indexing leads to more than 30 million index-level citations. Default to UWM Libraries holdings or expand to non-local holdings.
Science Reference Source
Science Reference Source is a comprehensive research database that provides easy access to a multitude of full text science-oriented content. This database contains full text for nearly 640 science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, etc. Topics covered include: biology, chemistry, earth & space science, environmental science, health & medicine, history of science, life science, physics, science & society, science as inquiry, scientists, technology and wildlife.
Literary Reference Plus
Literary Reference Plus is a full-text database that combines information from major respected reference works, books, and literary journals. It includes thousands of full-text poems, short stories, synopses, critical essays, literary journals, reference books and author biographies, plus lesson plans and literary study guides.