An encyclopedia is a collection of world knowledge. The word comes from two Greek words “Enkylios” and “Padideia”. These two words mean common knowledge. Through the world’s cells, we can know the past history of knowledge. Therefore, starting from the dawn of civilization, all the information is gathered in it.

The definition has been defined differently by different people.

According to the definition of Encyclopedia Britannica, “An encyclopedia is a literary work containing detailed information in all branches of knowledge arranged in alphabetical order.”

According to the ALA Glossary, “an encyclopedia is a work that contains articles about all subjects in alphabetical order or a work that is limited to a particular subject.”

An encyclopedia is a book of one or more volumes containing, in a neat and orderly manner, accurate information about persons, places, events, and things. In one word, it can be said that the encyclopedia is a summary of human knowledge.

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The uses of an encyclopedia:

Encyclopedias provide accurate answers to many of our reference questions. It is briefly discussed below:

Background and overview of the subject: The world helps us to know about the past history of the flow of a subject or event.
BiograpThe Encyclopedia helps us learn about a famous person and his life cycle.
Country description: It helps us to know about the historical background, history, economic condition and government, etc. of a particular country or region.
Definition: Encyclopedias are very useful for detailed definitions of something.
Government: It deals with the government or system of government.
Historical documents: Encyclopedias are very useful for historical information.
Pictures of people or place: It contains a detailed description of a famous person or place along with a picture of it.
Statistics: There are always different statistics available in it.

Types of encyclopedias:

There are two types of encyclopedias: namely-

1. General encyclopedia

2. Subject oriented encyclopedia

General encyclopedia: The encyclopedia which contains various information on various subjects i.e. where all types of knowledge are gathered is called general encyclopedia. E.g.: Encyclopedia of Britannica, Encyclopedia of America.

Subject encyclopedias: Encyclopedias that provide detailed information on a particular subject are called subject encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia of Social Science and Technology.

Evaluation criteria

Encyclopedias can be evaluated based on seven contexts. These are discussed below:

Objective: The encyclopedia aims to provide answers to informational questions, mostly what, who, when, where, and how. The second goal is to provide both general readers and experts with retrospective information. The third goal is to facilitate the search for original articles by adding a bibliography at the end of each article search.

Scope: This refers to how many topics are included in an encyclopedia. How deep the discussion has reached is also a consideration in the discussion. Humanities, Sociology, Science and Technology etc. all the subjects have to be seen to be equal. It is also important that each article is credited and a bibliography is provided.

Rights: Encyclopedia’s accuracy is highly desirable. In that case, the qualification of the publisher and author is a matter of consideration. Whether the author is recognized as famous, whether the author’s educational qualification is consistent with the written article, whether the author has a status, etc., should be understood that the encyclopedia is initially selectable.

Language: Encyclopedias are written for the general public. Therefore, linguistic fluency is very necessary. Children’s encyclopedia sentences and words must be the simplest to use. Scientific articles are largely devoid of subject matter. A smooth flow of language should be maintained without undermining the beauty of the subject matter.

Perspective and objectivity: The encyclopedia evaluation should see whether it is impartial and objective and free of perspective correction.

External: Encyclopedia paper, printing and binding are subject to inspection. Four things to look for are the quality of the imaged material, including the size of the printed characters, occlusion, and volume. Only then will the evaluation of the encyclopedia be accurate.

Decor and Index: These are special considerations for special evaluations. Naturally, the value of encyclopedias should be checked by experts to see how useful and up-to-date they are. If not appropriate, the reader will be confused. No data can be found without Index. An encyclopedia has always been an evaluative book. They must be evaluated accurately at work.

All Editions:

A complete list of the Encyclopedia Britannica’s major editions can be found here:

1st Edition (1768–1771): 3 volumes, published in Edinburgh, Scotland.

2nd Edition (1777–1784): 10 volumes.

3rd Edition (1788–1797): 18 volumes, with a supplement published in 1801.

4th Edition (1801–1899): 20 volumes, plus a supplement.

5th Edition (1815–1817): 20 volumes.

6th Edition (1823-1824): 20 volumes, with a supplement published in 1824.

7th Edition (1830–1842): 21 volumes.

8th Edition (1853–1860): 21 volumes.

9th Edition (1875–1899): 24 volumes, known as the “Scholar’s Edition” due to its scholarly accuracy and comprehensive content.

10th Edition (1902–1903): 10 volumes of the 9th edition plus 11 volumes of supplementary material.

11th Edition (1910–1911): 29 volumes, famous for its literary style and depth of articles.

12th Edition (1922): 29 volumes, consisting of the 11th edition and three new supplementary volumes.

13th Edition (1926): 29 volumes, including the 12th edition and three additional supplementary volumes.

14th Edition (1929–1973): 24 volumes continuously revised and updated.

15th Edition (1974-2010): Initially in three parts: Micropædia (12 volumes), Macropædia (17 volumes), and Propædia (1 volume). Later reorganized in two parts: Micropædia and Macropædia.

After 2010, Britannica stopped publishing in traditional editions and switched to a digital format that is updated continuously. With their subscription service, the content is currently accessible online.

Last Edition Features:

The 15th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, also known as the “New Encyclopædia Britannica. In 1974, the 15th edition was first released. Following multiple revisions, the 15th edition was finally published in print as a 32-volume set in 2010. The 15th edition’s salient characteristics are as follows:

Volumes 1 to 12 (Micropædia): Its quadrilaterals of definition are like gateways to the collection of cosmology. It is quite difficult to use. However, it helps to define the scope of the subject, although it does not have a specific index, it acts much like an index.
Volumes 13 to 29 (Micropædia): The combination of 13th to 29th volumes forms this section. Here the depth of knowledge is entered. Organized large lore across the entire continent. Each article has a format of at least 1000 words. Every subject is extensively discussed here.
Volume 30(Propædia): There is a lot of cross references and ready references scattered throughout.
Volumes 31 to 32 (Index): Here usage rules are used as pointers to get words.

The Encyclopedia Britannica’s fifteenth edition is noteworthy for its bold reorganization and adaptation to the requirements of contemporary readers, which helped usher in the era of digital encyclopedias.