Encyclopedia Comparison

Reference Answer
February 9, 2008

Encyclopedia
i ii
Britannica vii
Wikipedia The New Book of
viii

Americana Knowledge

Does it have material user is likely to Yes Yes Yes Yes..age appropriate
need?
Is it comprehensible to intended user? Yes Yes Yes yes

Is it produced by reputable people? Yes Yes Peer submission & yes

evaluation
Is it reliable? Yes Yes vi
Yes yes

Is it free from bias & stereotyping? …cultural bias …cultural bias …submitter bias cultural bias???
Is it reasonably current? reasonable yes yes yes

Is it easy to use w/ contents readily yes yes yes yes

accessible?
Is it adequately illustrated? yes yes no yes
Is the book well made and aesthetically Yes yes yes yes
pleasing?
Does it offer any special or unique no has Micropaedia a free
features? shorter version than
the macropaedia
Is it available in print & electronic form Print Print Electronic Print
–which is right? iii
no iv
www.britannica.com

Is it fairly priced? v v
free v

2006 $879.00 2007 $1295.00 $659.00

What do publishers reviews say? v
Especially with its v
Encyclopaedia see endnote from
extensive coverage Britannica continues Nature Magazine
of American to be an authoritative vii

studies, resource..."
Encyclopedia - Booklist
Americana is an
excellent resource
for high-school,
public, and
academic libraries."
 Booklist,
September 15,
2006.
How does it compare with major duh duh better great
competitors?
Compare & Contrast good, indepth, lots just a few paragraphs complete and Beautiful, illustrated,
Nuclear Fusion of pages extensive…offers well spelled out.
links to more info…
provides ready
references
Compare & Contrast lots of good stuff… very very limited. list of time lines of nicely laid out and well
Reconquest of Spain not well divided gotta search thru stuff conquests and explained.
related info.
Compare & Contrast nothin nothin Extensive nothin
Star Trek information
i
Abraham, Henry J. et al.. Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier. Connecticut; 2001
ii
Safra, Jacob E. COB. The New Encyclopaedic Britannica 15th Edition Micropaedia. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc..
Chicago;2005
iii
google.com. 2007 google.com. 28 Nov 2007. http://www.google.com/search?q=encyclopedia+americana&ie=utf-
8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
iv
www.brittanica.com. 2007 Encyclopaedic Britannica. 28 Nov 2007. http://www.britannica.com/
v
www.encyclopediacenter.com 2006-2007 Encyclopediacenter.com 28 Nov 2007.
http://www.encyclopediacenter.com/Encyclopedia_Britannica.html?gclid=CIGkvdb1_48CFQIQFQodMWg2uA
vi
Nature.com. 2007. Nature Publishing Group. 28 Nov 2007. Nature 438, 900-901 (15 December 2005) |
doi:10.1038/438900a; Published online 14 December 2005
vii
www.wikipedia.com 2007. http://www.wikimediafoundation.org/. 28 Nov 2007.
viii
Scholastic Library Publishing. The New Book of Knowledge . 2006.