Encyclopedias contain factual articles on many subjects. Although encyclopedias may have been a major source for research in high school, in college you'll use sources that contain more depth.

There are two types of encyclopedias--general and subject.
General encyclopedias provide overviews on a wide variety of topics.
Subject encyclopedias contain entries focusing on one field of study.

At the O'Malley Library, encyclopedias are available in print or electronic format.

Use an Encyclopedia...

• when looking for background information on a topic.
• when trying to find key ideas, important dates or concepts.

Examples of Encyclopedias: