Page 169 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Information Sources and Services

Notes 6. Special subject Encyclopaedia: it is rather common for the reference librarian to receive
queries regarding specific subjects. The answer of such queries can be searched from the
subject encyclopaedias. A user frequently wants to know something ‘on or about’ a
particular subject. He not only seeks detailed data on a specific subject but also expects
well-organized overview for the purpose of research. A user may refer to general
encyclopaedia for an introductory outline or concise account of a subject sufficient enough
get familiarized with a subject. He can go for further information to a specialized subject
encyclopaedia.
7. A librarian may guide a research scholar to a subject encyclopaedia as a stepping stone to
a more extended research. The researcher can focus on the important aspects of the topic
and can explore further on those guidelines. He can also refer to the sources mentioned in
the bibliography appended to the article. But a research scholar should be cautious to not
with care the year of publication of the reference sources as well as sources in the
bibliography so as to refer to the latest publications to get updated and reliable information.

Notes The single volume subject encyclopaedia aims to bring together in a nutshell, all
the points discussed in various sources. Hence, it become concise and handy reference tool
to refer to narrow and specialized topics on which no books have been published. Subject
encyclopaedia is valuable reference sources for the biographies of the subject specialists
who have not gained enough popularity to be on international scene for inclusion in the
general encyclopaedias.
8.2.1 Information that may be Located from Encyclopaedias

Example: A few examples:

Oath of Hippocrates
Information about Mormons (a religious sect)
International date line
Importance of vitamin D

Total number of items in the British Museum
Short description of radar
Short biographies of the following:
(a) C.V. Raman
(b) John Dewey

(c) Rabindranath Tagore
Name of the country producing the largest amount of petroleum in the Middle East
Who was the first president of Royal Society, London

Where is Wall Street
Who was the first to fly an aeroplane
When did Fiji gain its independence

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