Encyclopedia Britannica

 Title: Encyclopedia Britannica (Subscription Database)

Publisher: Britannica Digital Learning

Topic: General Education

Age Range: All Ages

User’s Annotation: Encyclopedia Britannica Online is a general information database for users of all ages that adds all of the digital extras that the print copy cannot.

Resource Summary: Encyclopedia Britannica Online is a general information database. Much like the print edition, the information that is found is everything and just about anything a student could need. It has general topics from A to Z, biographies, information about contributors, ebooks, primary sources, videos, other media, quotations, and different spotlight features. It also features research tools like country comparisons, the history of the day, timelines, a world atlas, and World Data Analyst. It features the Merriam Webster Dictionary Online edition. It also has current events through the web editions of The New York Times and BBC News.

Critical Evaluation: While some young adults may be expected to use more sophisticated resources for academic projects, the Encyclopedia Britannica Online offers a great amount of general knowledge that can be used everyday for both school and curiosity. When providing resources for school, students can use Encyclopedia Britannica Online as a source of reliable information. If more in depth resources are required for a project, Encyclopedia Britannica Online can be used as a spring board for research. Students can find out what the primary sources of research were used when creating that article and search out those materials or other suggested materials from the articles. Encyclopedia Britannica Online is also fantastic for answering common or non-school related questions. It has a wide range of topics. These topical articles are written in a comprehensive manner from trusted sources. It is a great general use database that will yield many positive responses.

Publisher Information: Britannica Digital Learning (BDL) provides reliable high-quality classroom products and solutions for educators. BDL experts produce curriculum-correlated products for all ages from preschool to college that make creative use of technologies widely used in schools today—such as interactive whiteboards and learner-response devices—making it easier for teachers to teach and for students to learn. Products include Britannica SmartMath, Pathways: Science, Britannica Online School Edition, and Image Quest. Source - http://corporate.britannica.com/about/brands/

Curriculum Ties: All Topics

Challenge Issues: None

Database Talk Ideas: General – One could talk about all of the different gerenral information that could found as a student is trying to begin researching a topic.