Databases:
Databases can contain a combination of full-text articles (ready to read online) and/or citation information about articles, book chapters, books, or other resources.
Encyclopedia:
Encyclopedias are a set of online or print books, containing short entries, with curated and factual information regarding a variety of topics. These entries provide background information on a topic but are not appropriate to cite as a source for most academic assignments. However, they can be incredibly valuable to help you understand the topic.
General encyclopedias provide information on a wide diversity of subjects. Entries are written by experts and reviewed by experts to insure that the information is accurate, complete, and useful.
Credo is a good general encyclopedia that is written, edited, and curated by scholars in academic fields.
Wikipedia is a type of general encyclopedia, which is created and reviewed through a crowd-sourced model of citizen editors.
Subject-Specific Encyclopedia:
In addition to general encyclopedias, there is special encyclopedia that concentrates on specific subject fields. The articles in these sources are more detailed and frequently more scholarly in tone than those found in general encyclopedias.
Subject-specific encyclopedias usually cover an academic discipline such as music, art, history, science, or education. They often have helpful bibliographies appended to the individual articles, and these lists of additional references can, in turn, direct you to other sources of information on your topic.
Reviewing Results while Searching
When searching, skimming items you come across in your results can be a key way to evaluate whether they will be a useful source for your writing. See UNC Chapel Hill's guide to skimming for tips.
