Fact Sources: Encyclopedias, Almanacs, etc.
Look up facts quickly with the references on this page. They are the Web equivalents of encyclopedias, almanacs, and similar references. If these don't help, try Asking an Expert. See also Demographics and Statistics.
This page:
Encyclopedias |
Almanacs |
World Records and Other Facts |
Facts for Kids |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
How-To
Compendia of Facts
- Fast Facts (RefDesk.com)
- See also Reference Desks
- Wolfram Alpha - Calling itself a "computational knowledge engine," WA searches facts and does calculations based on its own database of "curated" facts
- Answers.com - Enter a term that you would like to know about and Answers.com checks it against major reference sources. You can also download the 1-Click Answers software and use it with other programs. (Formerly GuruNet)
- See also Fugitive Fact Files
- Britannica.com - The online version of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Some content provided free. Includes Web references, too.
Web Directory:
Search Engines for Fact Sources:
Encyclopedias:
- Columbia Encyclopedia (Bartleby)
- HighBeam Encyclopedia - With links to eLibrary documents (Encyclopedia.com)
Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed., 2002):
- Encarta - A combination encyclopedia, dictionary, and atlas (Microsoft)
- Wikipedia
- Educause has 7 Things You Should Know About Wikipedia
- Karen Schneider says librarians look for information we can trust and she wouldn't assume the wiki is correct
- Steven Cohen says "good enough" isn't good enough
- Walt Crawford says trust but verify
- Response to Criticisms
- Library of Congress Classification - Wikipedia's article on LC Classification not only explains the system, but also functions as an index to Wikipedia itself!
Wikipedia, an open-source encyclopedia:
Traditional print and CD-ROM encyclopedias are written by authoritative writers and compiled by professional editors. Wikipedia, however, allows its user community to write and edit articles (and correct mistakes or bias). Supporters claim that this model produces an encyclopedia that is more accurate and current than traditional encyclopedias.
Cautions:
Wikipedia's Response:
Classification:
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (h2g2) - Similar in some ways to Wikipedia, h2g2 is built on user contributions. It has a more casual writing style and covers fewer topics. (BBC)
- 1911 edition of the Britannica - The famous 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica is now available online free
- Encyclopedia of Diderot and D'Alembert - The revolutionary (in more ways than one) 18th century Encyclopédie is being translated into English (University of Michigan)
- Nuttall Encyclopaedia - Compiled by the Rev. James Wood in 1907 (with all the biases of an individual British author of the early 20th century) (Project Gutenberg)
Historic Encyclopedias:
- Information Please Almanac, with dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas
- The Old Farmer's Almanac
- Farmers' Almanac
- See also Demographics and Statistics and Time and Temperature
- Famous Firsts
- Guinness World Records
- Ripley's Believe It or Not
- Fact Monster - From Information Please
- World Almanac for Kids
Almanacs:
World Records and Other Facts:
Facts for Kids:
FAQs
- See Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in my Internet pages
How-To
- Article Insider - Inside advice on many subjects
- eHow
- FindHow - Search engine from various sources
- Instructables - Users share their step-by-step instructions for all kinds of things
- So You Wanna - All kinds of things you might wanna do
- Unclutterer - Blog on uncluttering your life
- WikiHow - You can add to or edit this site
- See also Life Hacks, for tips on personal productivity