Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Dictionaries
An introduction
A dictionary is an alphabetically arranged publication containing information about words, meanings, spelling, pronunciation, syllabication and usages. It may also give synonyms, anonyms, illustrative quotations, maps and plates, biographical facts and geographical information. The word ‘dictionary’ comes from the Latin diction, meaning a word or a phrase.
Related terms
Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a work containing synonymous and related words and phrases rather than explaining meanings. The word thesaurus (of Greek origin) means a storehouse or treasury of knowledge. The term thesaurus is used to describe dictionaries which arrange words in classified order and not in the usual alphabetical order. It is also used for a list of controlled terms used in a database.
Lexicon
A lexicon is a dictionary, most often of ancient languages – e.g. Greek, Hebrew and Arabic. The term is derived from the Greek lexis meaning words.

Glossary
A glossary is an alphabetical list of definitions. The list may relate to words used in a particular book or to a particular subject.

Concordance
A glossary is an alphabetical index of important words in a book, or the works of an author, with references to the phrases and passages in the text. Examples include concordances to the Bible, or a particular author – e.g. Shakespeare and Chaucer.
Categories of dictionaries
Dictionaries are categorized according to the number of words listed:
Unabridged: over 250,000 words
Semi-abridged: 130,000-250,000 words
Abridged/Concise: 55,000-130,000 words
Pocket: under 55,000 words
Children’s/School: 25,000-95,000 words
Exercise
Find an example of each of the following types of dictionaries and list the titles.

1. Adult
2. Children’s (these include definitions in simple language and use large type
3. Regional
4. Synonyms and antonyms
5. Slang
6. Usage
7. Abbreviations and acronyms
8. Subject (these include highly specialized words)
9. Foreign language (these offer the foreign word and English equivalent, but not the meaning)
10. Crossword (arranged by the nuer of letters in a word, or by the definition)
11. Dialect
12. Obsolete words
13. New words
14. Names
15. Quotations
16. Rhyming
17. Eponyms (words based on a person’s name – e.g. Braille, wellington boot, peach melba)

Use of dictionaries
Dictionaries are likely to include the following details about a word:

• spelling with preferred variants
• syllabication – division into units of pronunciation
• part of speech – verb, noun, adverb, etc.
• etymology – origin
• definition – the exact meaning
• synonyms – a word or phrase meaning exactly or nearly the same
• antonyms – a word or phrase opposite in meaning
• illustrative quotations – to show how a word is used
• usage labels – e.g. slang, obsolete, US
• abbreviations
• illustrations – e.g. pictures, diagrams

They are used in a reference section to check the meaning, pronunciation and spelling of words. They may be used as a guide to correct grammar, to find out usage of words or to explain the origin of a word. Dictionaries are useful if you are preparing a literature search or answering a reference query on an unfamiliar subject. Editorial approaches There are two approaches to editing a dictionary. The prescriptive approach – lays down ‘correct’ standards of word acceptability and usage. The editors must follow tradition and prevent combination of the pure language by jargon. The descriptive approach – records words as they are used (and misused) without passing judgment. A particular word used often enough becomes acceptable. Descriptive is the more common and modern approach. When illustrating the definition of a word, the editors use quotes not only from ‘good’ literature but also from newspapers, TV and speeches. Examining a dictionary Most people who consult a dictionary never read its instructions on use – are you guilty of this? Dictionaries usually include the following features:

• a preface which states the scope of the publication as well as its aim
• a key to abbreviation
• a key to pronunciation which may use the phonetic alphabet or re-spell the words using the ordinary alphabet
• the main sequence of words which is usually in alphabetical order but may occasionally be in classified order. It may be word by word or letter by letter. The content of entries gives lots of information – e.g. origin, history, how the word is used.
• a supplementary sequence of words which may update the main sequence or deal with special categories of words – e.g. meanings of first names. It may include encyclopedic information – e.g. weights and measures, lists of royalty, chemical compounds, etc.

You need to examine all sections of a dictionary before you can use it fully and efficiently. Evaluating a dictionary In order to decide whether a dictionary will suit your purposes, you should consider the following points: Authority - This is determined by who has compiled the dictionary and who published it. Ease of use - A good dictionary includes clear introductory information on its purpose, scope and features, keys to abbreviations and pronunciation. Word coverage - The word coverage may be limited, because it is impossible for a general dictionary to be comprehensive without becoming excessively large. A dictionary needs regular updating to include new words and changes in usage. Word treatment - It is important to know how a dictionary treats its words – does it give etymology, quotations, illustrations? The definitions must be clear and accurate. Which dictionary? When deciding which dictionary to use:

1. Listen to or read the question carefully. Look for keywords which will help you decide which source to use – e.g. the question ‘Who said “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn”?’ would lead you to a dictionary of quotations.
2. Make sure you know what information is required. Does the enquirer want a meaning of a word or its origins?
3. Decide whether the question indicates which country the word is used in. Does it give clues to the origin of the word – e.g. that it derives from a particular language?

Exercise Using a general purpose dictionary (eg the Concise Oxford dictionary or the Macquarie dictionary), decide which word in the following pairs is spelt correctly. Exercise Using a general purpose dictionary (eg the Concise Oxford dictionary or the Macquarie dictionary), decide which word in the following pairs is spelt correctly.

grafitti	graffiti	anomaly	anomoly
diptheria	>diphtheria	accommodate	accomodate
proceed	procede	receive	recieve
concensus	consensus	rhythym	rhythm
commitment	committment	preceeding	>

Exercise Choose 2 of the following words and compare their definitions in 3 different dictionaries.

fierce	patch
stalwart	doll
retire	combine
nick	case
inhale	fantastic

Exercise Search on the Internet to find a range of dictionaries. Choose a search engine such as Yahoo at http://www.yahoo.com/ Click on Reference, then on Dictionaries. Choose 5 subject-specific dictionaries and write the titles below.

Exercise Choose examples of dictionaries in print or electronic form from the list below. Fill in the details for as many as you can locate. Photocopy the headings if you need additional space.

Acronyms, initialisms and abbreviations dictionary	Fowler's modern English usage
Australian dictionary of acronyms and abbreviations	Macquerie dictionary
Black's medical dictionary	Oxford dictionary of quotations
Brewer's dictionary of phrase and fable	Roget's thesaurus of English words and phrases
Chambers science and technology dictionary	Shorter Oxford English dictionary
Collins concise dictionary	Webster's third new international dictionary

Title Place, publisher, date Intended user group Arrangement Special features Exercise Using sources you are familiar with, suggest a type of dictionary which is likely to provide the answers to the following questions – e.g. a medical dictionary. (You do not need to give the exact title or bibliographic details.)

1. What is herpetology?	General English dictionary
2. What does the Australian term cozzie mean?	Australian dictionary
3. What is the origin of the phrase 'son of a gun'?	Phrases
4. What does the acronym GUBU stand for?	Acronym
5. What is the meaning of the medical term axilla?	Medical
6. What is the difference between elemental and elementary and how should these words be used?	Usage
7. Can you find a synonymn for the word habitual?	Synonym, thesaurus
8. What does the Australian acronymn MEG stand for?	Acronym
9. What is the origin of the word penguin?	Historical principles
10. What does the scientific term 'inertial damping' mean?	Scientific
11. I am looking for a word with a meaning similar to peaceful.	Synonym, thesaurus
12. When was the word lurch first used?	Historical principles
13. What is a New York cut?	American
14. Skite is a word used in Australian slang. What does it mean?	Australian
15. What does the abbreviation 'Br J Admin L' stand for?	Abbreviations
16. What is the Spanish word for handkerchief?	Spanish
17. When would I use the word prescribe instead of proscribe?	Usage
18. Who said 'a man will turn over half a library to make one book'?	Quotations
19. I am in a hurry and need a definition of the word incorrigible.	General English
20. Where are the metatarsal bones located in the human body?	Medical

Exercise Find the answer to these questions using a dictionary. Name the source and give its bibliographic details.

1. Can you find a synonym for the word intellect?
   mind, psyche, mentality
   Roget’s thesaurus of English words and phrases. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1984, p. 181.
   
2. What does solar plexus mean?
   network of nerves situated behind the stomach that supply the abdominal organs
   Collins concise dictionary, 3rd ed. Sydney: Harper Collins, 1995, p. 1279.
   
3. When was the word break-neck first used?
   1962
   Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 3rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, c1973, p. 233.
   
4. What colour is american beauty?
   A deep purplish red.
   Webster’s third new international dictionary. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, c1993, p. 68.
   
5. What does NEBM stand for?
   No eating between meals.
   Acronyms, initalisms and abbreviations dictionary. 22nd ed. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research, c1997, vol. 1. part 2., p. 2452.
   
6. Find examples of how the word son-in-law was used in the 1800s.
   “How would you find him for a son-in-law?”
   Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 3rd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press, c1973, p. 2030.
   
7. When would I use the term imaginary instead of imaginative?
   Imaginary = not real; imaginative = inventive, original
   Fowler’s Modern English Usage, 3rd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996, p. 380.
   
8. What is the scientific instrument called an integrating meter?
   an electrical instrument which sums up the value of the quantity measured with respect to time Chambers science and technology dictionary. Cambridge: Chambers-Cambridge, c1988, p.489.
   
9. What does the Australian acronym MMBW stand for?
   Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works
   Australian dictionary of acronyms and abbreviations, 4th ed., Canberra: ALIA Press, c1995, p. 289
   
10. What is a pea jacket?
    A sailor’s short heavy woolen overcoat.
    Collins’ concise dictionary, 3rd ed., Sydney: HarperCollins, 1995, p. 389.
    
11. What is a lincoln rocker which was named after the US President, Abraham Lincoln?
    A type of high-backed rocking chair
    Webster’s third new international dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, Merriam-Webster, c1993, p.314
    
12. Can you find a word with a meaning similar to ascent?
    accession, lift, upward motion, gaining height
    Roget’s thesaurus of English words and phrases, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1984, p. 181
    
13. What is the recommended plural for bureau?
    bureaux
    Fowlers’ modern English usage, 3rd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996, p. 120
    
14. What does the Australian term nong mean?
    a fool, a idiot
    Macquarie dictionary, 3rd ed., North Ryde, N.S.W, Macquarie Library, 1997, p. 1465.
    
15. Find a word for tomorrow in two other languages.
    domain – Italian
    Cassell’s Italian-English, English-Italian dictionary, 7th ed., London: Cassell, 1967, p. 1026.
    morgen – German
    Cassell’s German-English, English-German dictionary, Rev. ed., London: Cassell, c1978, p. 1497.
    
16. What does the expression ‘on the never-never’ mean?
    to get or buy something on hire purchase
    Brewer’s dictionary of phrase and fable, 15th ed., London, Cassell, 1995, p. 741.
    
17. What is the French word for laugh?
    rire
    Cassell’s French-English, English-French dictionary, London, Cassell, 1962, p. 287.
    
18. What is the meaning of the medical term coryza?
    the technical name of a ‘cold in the head’
    Black’s medical dictionary, 36th ed., London, Black, c1990, p. 172.
    
19. Who was described in the quote ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’?
    Lord Byron – described by Lady Caroline Lamb.
    Oxford dictionary of quotations, 3rd ed., Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1979, p. 306.
    
20. What does the Australian expression ‘daylight robbery’ mean?
    a shameless attempt to rob, overcharge or cheat someone
    Macquarie dictionary, 3rd ed., Macquarie University, N.S.W., Macquarie Library, 1997, p. 555.

Encyclopedias Introduction An encyclopedia is a systematic summary of all significant knowledge or a summary of the knowledge on one subject. All encyclopedias are selective to some extent; they may be in a single volume or a multi-volume set. A single volume cannot give depth of coverage, but it is useful for factual information and cheaper than a multi-volume set. When using an encyclopedia you should always read the introduction to find out the strengths and features as well as how the information is organized. Along with dictionaries, encyclopedias are the most frequently consulted reference tools. The primary use is to search for specific facts – i.e. to answer who, what, where, when and how. They are often the first step towards a more extended search. General encyclopedias are usually shelved together. Subject encyclopedias are classified according to subject, and are therefore dispersed through the collection. Characteristics Encyclopedias provide background information, and are not usually intended for the subject specialist. Articles are written by subject experts and adapted by editorial staff. Those signed by contributors are more likely to be authoritative. Most articles include a bibliography listing further reading. Most encyclopedias adopt a policy of continuous revision. Approximately 10-15% of the contents is updated annually, and topics involving current events are updated more frequently. Some publishers issue yearbooks to update the main sequence, or supplements for particular regions. The majority of multi-volume general encyclopedias in English are now published in the United States, which has lower production costs and a larger market than the United Kingdom. Uses An encyclopedia may be used to provide the following information:

• brief factual details where there is little controversy – e.g. to answer questions like ‘Who was Helen Porter Mitchell?’
• an introduction to or an overview of a topic for the non-expert
• referral to other more detailed works through a bibliography at the end of the article.

An encyclopedia is usually the first source used by those seeking factual information. If the required information is not contained in the encyclopedia, the list of readings may lead you to other sources. Exercise Find an example of each of the following types of encyclopedias and list the titles. General Subject National Foreign language Electronic encyclopedias Many encyclopedias are now available on CD-ROM or the Internet. These formats enhance the contents by adding animation and sound effects. Another advantage of electronic reference works is that cross-referencing is easily achieved by the use of hypertext. This allows a reader to click on an indicated word for further or related information. As with the printed form, each encyclopedia is designed for a certain audience, and the information is tailored to serve that group. In evaluating these forms of encyclopedias, you must be aware of the following considerations:

• Is the encyclopedia based on a printed version, even if it is under a different name?
• Is the information up to date?
• Are the pictures and sounds relevant to that particular article?
• Is the name of the contributor given?
• Is there a bibliography or further reading?
• Is the information easy to find?

Exercise Browse the reference shelves in the library. Find 5 examples of subject-specific encyclopedias and list the titles. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Exercise Choose two of the topics listed and compare the coverage in two general encyclopedias – e.g. Encyclopedia Britannia and World book encyclopedia.

Architecture	Pompeii
Mexico City	Pelicans
The Red Cross	Jane Austen
Trombones	Halley's Comet
Albert Einstein	Weightlifting

Which encyclopedia? When deciding which encyclopedia to use:

1. Listen to or read the question carefully and decide whether the information is likely to be in a general or a subject-specific encyclopedia.
2. Find out how much information is required. Some questions will be answered adequately in a general encyclopedia. For example, the answer to ‘where was Alexander the Great born?’ could be found in a single volume encyclopedia. If the enquirer asked for a list of campaigns which Alexander the Great fought and a description of the major battles including maps of the battlefields, you would need a more detailed encyclopedia such as Encyclopaedia Britannica.
3. Decide whether the question indicates a particular subject or country – e.g. if the enquirer wants information on a technical scientific topic, you would use a scientific encyclopedia rather than a general encyclopedia.

Exercise Search on the Internet to find a range of encyclopedias. You should choose a search engine such as Yahoo at http://www.yahoo.com/ Click on Reference, then on Encyclopedia. Write the titles of 5 encyclopedias. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Exercise Choose examples of encyclopedias in print or electronic form from the list below. Fill in the details for as many as you can locate (at least 5). Photocopy the headings if you need additional space. Australian encyclopaedia International encyclopedia of the social sciences Cambridge encyclopedia McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science and technology Chambers encyclopaedia Microsoft Encarta Colier's encyclopedia The new Encyclopaedia Britannica The encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia World book encylopedia Grolier's encyclopedia
Title Place, publisher, date Intended user group Arrangement Special features Exercise
Using sources you are familiar with, suggest a type of encyclopedia which is likely to provide the answers to the following questions – e.g. an Australian encyclopedia. (You do not need to give the exact title or bibliographic details.)

1. Who was Yuri Gagarin?	General
2. My primary school child wants some information on the flags of the world.	Children's general
3. When was the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia established?	Australian
4. Where is the Skeena River?	General
5. Who wrote the American national anthem 'The Star-Spangled Banner'?	American
6. I am writing an essay on nuclear structure and need some information on this topic.	Scientific
7. I would like a complete list of the works by Charles Dickens and detailed information about his influence on English literature.	Detailed encyclopedia
8. Can you find some illustrations on battles fought during the American Civil War?	American
9. How do fluorescent lights work?	Scientific
10. I want some information on the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra.	Australian
11. Where is the Amritsar and what is it famous for?	General
12. My child is very interested in elephants and would like some background reading on this topic.	Children's
13. When was television first seen in Australia?	Australian
14. I am writing a thesis on the family in society and would like to find detailed information on this topic, including a bibliography of relevant publications.	Social sciences
15. Mary Reiby appears on the Australian $20 note. Who was she?	Australian
16. I would like to read more about the history of museums. Could you find some major works on this subject for me?	Detailed information
17. What does a gorilla eat?	General
18. Could you find some detailed information on nuclear reactors?	Scientific
19. Why did the United States enter World War II?	American
20. Where would I find some information on Henry Savery, author of the first novel written, printed and published in Australia?	Australian

Exercise Find the answer to these questions using encyclopedias. Name the source and give its bibliographic details.

1. Why is Amy Johnson famous?
   She was the first woman to make a solo flight from England to Australia.
   World book encyclopedia, 5th ed., London, World Book, c1996, vol. 11, p. 132.
   
2. I want some information on Australian folklore.
   Australian encyclopedia, 6th ed., Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australian Geographic, 1996, vol. 4, pp. 1380-1385.
   
3. Sir Alexander Fleming won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1945. Who shared the prize with him?
   Sir Howard Florey and Ernst B. Chain
   World book encyclopedia, 5th ed., London, World Book, c1996, vol. 7, p. 225.
   
4. Where is Ndola?
   It is the second largest town in Zambia.
   The new encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., Chicago, Encyclopedia Britannica, c1997, Micropaedia vol. 8, p. 572.
   
5. I would like to find a list of works written by John Locke, the English philosopher and political theorist.
   International encyclopedia of the social sciences, N.Y., Macmillan, 1968, vol. 9, pp. 464-471.
   
6. Where can I find some information on the United States Postal Service?
   Collier’s encyclopedia, N.Y., Collier, c1993, vol. 19, pp.292-296.
   
7. I am about to start my thesis on East Asian arts and would like some background information.
   The new encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., Chicago, Encyclopedia Britannica, c1997, Macropaedia vol. 17, pp. 667-771.
   
8. My primary school child needs some information on the Olympic Games.
   World book encyclopedia, 5th ed., London, World Book, c1996, vol. 14, p, 432-446.
   
9. Where is Finniss Springs, a former mission station which was operated by the United Aborigines Mission?
   50 km south of Lake Eyre and West of Marree, S.A.
   Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Canberra, Aboriginal Studies Press, 1994, vol. 1, p. 364.
   
10. What is the French name for the city Aachen?
    Aix-la-Chapelle
    The new encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., Chicago, Encyclopedia Britannica, c1997, Micropaedia vol. 1, p. 1.
    
11. Where did Adelaide Ironside, the Australian artist, die?
    Rome
    Australian encyclopedia, 6th ed., Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australian Geographic, 1996, vol. 5, p. 1766.
    
12. I need some detailed information on Greek and Roman civilizations.
    The new encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., Chicago, Encyclopedia Britannica, c1997, Macropaedia vol. 20, pp. 205-341.
    
13. When was daylight saving first introduced in Australia?
    1917
    Australian encyclopedia, 6th ed., Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australian Geographic, 1996, vol. 3, p. 1021.
    
14. Does your library have any information on the theory of social control?
    International encyclopedia of the social sciences, N.Y., Macmillan, 1968, vol. 14, pp. 381-402.
    
15. Where would I find detailed information on rocket propulsion?
    McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science and technology, 8th ed., N.Y., McGraw-Hill, c1997, vol. 15, pp. 623-638.
    
16. What was the title of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s autobiography?
    Eight years and more 1815-1897.
    The new encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., Chicago, Encyclopedia Britannica, c1997, Micropaedia vol. 11, p. 216.
    
17. Why was the Statue of Liberty built?
    It commemorates the alliance of 1778 between France and the US.
    Collier’s encyclopedia, N.Y., Collier, c1993, vol. 14, p. 556.
    
18. I want some information about Coranderk, an Aboriginal reserve near Healesville, Victoria.
    Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Canberra, Aboriginal Studies Press, 1994, vol. 1, p. 231.
    
19. What is the population of Iowa’s principal cities?
    Collier’s encyclopedia, N.Y., Collier, c1993, vol. 13, p. 213.
    
20. Where would I find a comprehensive list of books on linguistics?
    The new encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., Chicago, Encyclopedia Britannica, c1997, Macropaedia vol. 23, p. 71.

Gosling, Mary. Learn Reference Work. Canberra: DocMatrix, 2001. pp.44-53.

Introduction to reference: Dictionaries: representative titles

Print

The Canadian Oxford dictionary

Gage Canadian dictionary

ITP Nelson Canadian dictionary

Dictionary of Canadianisms on historical principals

Oxford English dictionary

Concise Oxford dictionary of current English

Webster’s third new international dictionary of the English language, unabridged

Random House unabridged dictionary

Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary

Random House Webster’s college dictionary

Chambers English dictionary

Dictionary of American slang

Dictionary of slang and unconventional English

Cold as a Bay Street banker’s heart: the ultimate Prairie phrase book

Fitzhenry & Whiteside Canadian thesaurus

Roget’s international thesaurus

The new Fowler’s modern English usage

Guide to Canadian English usage

Acronyms, initalisms & abbreviations dictionary

Selected online sites

Bartleby.com http://www.bartleby.com/
Contains American heritage dictionary of the English language. 4th ed.
American Heritage ® Book of English usage. 1996.
Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third edition. 1995.

Merriam-Webster online http://www.m-w.com/
Contains a dictionary and a thesaurus.

Chambers 21st century dictionary
Chambers thesaurus
http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/chref/chref.py/main

British
Collins English dictionary 2000 ed.
http://www.wordreference.com/
British. Site contains Spanish-English dictionary, French-English dictionary, Italian-English dictionary, German-English dictionary.

Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English.
http://www.askoxford.com/

A dictionary of slang
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/
From British perspective but covers all English-speaking countries. Includes graphic content and some links are sexually explicit.

The WorldWideWeb Acronym and Abbreviation Server
http://www.ucc.ie/acronyms

Dictionary.com
http://www.dictionary.com/

OneLook Dictionaries
http://www.onelook.com/

yourDictionary.com
http://www.yourdictionary.com/

Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref28.00.00/

World atlas and dictionary roundup

Each spring, the Reference Books Bulletin section of Booklist provides updated information on current, recommended atlases and dictionaries. The May 15 issue of Booklist prints reviews of new titles, revisions, and new editions. Here on the Web site you can find a more comprehensive list, to which excerpts of the reviews of new and revised titles have been added.

The following sources are recommended for public, academic, and high-school libraries, based on currency, quality, cost, and availability. All have been published from late 1999 through early 2002 except for an unabridged dictionary and major atlas that do not yet have new editions for the new millennium. The recommended titles are listed by type and the purchaser may choose within types depending on individual preferences or needs.

Atlases
The Classic
The Times Atlas of the World. 10th ed. 1999. Times, $250 (0-8129-3265-X).
Although this edition has a 1999 copyright, it is still the pinnacle of atlases. There are 248 pages of digitally produced maps in light hues and clear typeface. For each continent there are at least 10 plates, with increasing definition with each map. The major weakness is the lack of city maps that were included in earlier editions.

Major Atlases
National Geographic Atlas of the World. 7th ed. 1999. 134 p. National Geographic, $150 (0-7922-7528-4).
Another late 1999 publication, this rivals the dimensions of the Times atlas (at approximately 18 inches by 12 inches) but has fewer pages, fewer index entries, and fewer maps. However, the atlas does a fine job with U.S. maps, which have more entries on each map. Also included is a section of city maps for each continent.

The New International World Atlas. 25th anniversary ed. 1999. 1,200 p. Rand McNally, $150 (0-528-83808-3).
This is the only major atlas that has text in five languages (English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese). The maps have shaded relief that gives a three-dimensional impression. The 160,000 entries in the index use longitude and latitude as the key for location (other atlases use a grid system). A separate section has 65 city maps, including Jakarta, Saigon, and Taipei.

Medium-Sized Atlases
Atlas of the World. 10th ed. 2002. 448 p. Oxford, $85 (0-19-521919-8)
Oxford advertises that its Atlas of the World is updated annually and in some instances this is true. Some of the statistical information in the thematic section is new and a page in the agriculture section updates a map regarding the “Crisis in Africa” with reference to the recent drought. A page of lists of countries and their population includes 2001 estimates. The company asserts that there is a “brand new…Gazetteer of Nations” but the text appears to be identical to the ninth edition except for the elimination of part of the information on Djibouti so that East Timor, a new country in May 2002, will fit in. Some of the statistics in the gazetteer have changed and there are a few new country flags. The page in the introduction entitled “World: Regions in the News” has changed – Afghanistan and Colombia are added and Caucasus and India are removed.

The maps appear to be similar to those in the ninth edition with the addition of national parks and nature reserves around the world. There are a few revisions. The New York City map indicates the former site of the World Trade Center. This and other city maps are still in a separate section with a separate index.

DK World Atlas. 2nd ed. 2000. 354 p. DK, $50 (0-7864-5962-0)
DK’s first atlas was published in 1997 and has now been revised. Although the publisher maintains that all maps have been completely updated and revised, the number of maps (450) and entries (80,000) in the index remain about the same. A geographical comparisons section has been added, with lists such as the least populous countries (Vatican City is at the top) and richest countries based on GNP per capita (Luxembourg is first; the U.S. is tenth). The maps are smaller than in some atlases, making room on the page for text, photos, charts and thematic maps.

Hammond Concise World Atlas. 2000. 238 p. Hammond, $45 (0-8437-1386-0); paper, $29.95 (0-8437-1387-9).
Hammond’s midpriced atlas has 138 pages of maps with 60,000 entries in the index. There are a number of inset maps and a few pages of maps of metropolitan areas of the world, including some in the U.S. These metropolitan areas are also included in the Hammond World Atlas, listed below.

Hammond World Atlas. 4th ed. 2002. 480 p. Hammond, $75. (0-8437-1836-6).
The fourth edition of the Hammond World Atlas is really a new edition from the “Mapmakers of the 21st Century.” Changes from the third edition, published in 2000, include a “Thematic Section” that has a broader scope, and a new 48-page “Satellite Photo Section”. The most important part of the atlas, the “Map Section,” contains 180 maps in a similar arrangement to the previous edition. The physical maps are from actual digital elevation data using new colors. There are new maps – one of Alaska almost fills a page and Hawaii is a quarter of a page. The New York City map has been updated since 9/11. Recommended as a first purchase among medium-sized atlases for academic, public and high school libraries.

National Geographic Family Reference Atlas of the World. 2002. 351p. National Geographic, $65 (0-7922-6930-6)
This atlas is a smaller version of the standard National Geographic Atlas of the World (National Geographic, 1999). There are both political and physical maps of the continents and the oceans. On each regional map page are also information boxes that give brief data and flag pictures for all nations and territories. Inset maps of all major island nations and territories are also provided. Accompanying thematic maps show population density, land use and weather averages for the regions. World maps with information on the economy, crops, mining, Internet connectivity and many other topics are presented with text to explain their significance.

The World Book Atlas. 2001. 240p. World Book, $57 (0-7166-2651-9).
World Book uses Rand McNally maps, so the 60 maps are similar to those in The New International Atlas. The index lists 54,000 place-names. Because the publishers hope this is purchased in conjunction with The World Book Encyclopedia there is little supplementary material.

School or desk atlases
DK Concise Atlas of the World. 2001. 384 p. DK, $29.95 (0-7894-8002-6).
Based on the DK World Atlas, this one follows the DK format of having lots of information on every page. In addition to maps of continents, there are 75 regional maps accompanied by graphs and tables with supplementary material.

Essential World Atlas. 3d ed. 2001. 232 p. Oxford, $24.95 (0-19-521790-X).
Some of the information in this atlas is similar to that in the larger Atlas of the World. The Essential has a separate city map section and fewer maps overall – less than 15 of the U.S. To make the most of the limited space, some of the maps are sideways on the page, so, for example, an area from northern Minnesota to southern Texas is displayed on a double-page spread.

Hammond Citation World Atlas. 2000. 328 p. Hammond, paper, $19.95 (0-8437-1295-3).
The arrangement of this atlas differs from other Hammond offerings. There is no comprehensive index or gazetteer, so place-names are included on the same page or adjacent page of the map. This works well only if you know, for example, that Versalles is in Bolivia, not Brazil. The maps do not have the unique shading that the more expensive Hammond atlases use, but individual U.S. state maps show clear county boundaries. State flags are included as well as nickname, state flower, and bird.

Illustrated Atlas of the World. 4th ed. 192 p. 2001. Readers’ Digest, $26.95 (0-7621-0343-4).
Published by Readers’ Digest with 80 maps by Bartholomew and 30,000 place-names, this atlas provides basic continent and country maps. The atlas is enhanced with color photographs on pages with supplementary maps – population, climate, and so forth. Flags and concise country information are also included.

Compact Atlases
DK Compact World Atlas. 2001. 192 p. DK, $13 (0-7894-7987-7).
Described as an atlas for the family, this is a good choice for a library’s circulating collection. There are 60 clear, simple maps with 20,000 entries in the index. A fact file contains statistics and flags of countries of the world. A note on the back of the title page provides a URL for updated information.

Hammond Explorer World Atlas. Rev. ed. by Hammond World Atlas Corp. 2001. 132 p. Hammond, paper, $12.95 (0-8437-1357-7).
There are 90 pages of maps, with eight pages devoted to the U.S., and two additional pages of U.S. city maps. Also included are country flags and a reference guide.

Rand McNally Premier World Atlas. 2d ed. 2000. 144 p. Rand McNally, paper, $15.95 (0-528-83894-6). This economical atlas has 144 pages of maps, along with a page or two about each continent accompanied by colorful photographs. There are individual U.S. state maps.

Dictionaries
The Classic
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary: Complete Text Reproduced Micrographically. 2d. ed. Ed. by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. 1991. 2,416 p. Oxford, $395 (0-19-861258-3).
The Oxford English Dictionary. 20v. 2d ed. Ed. by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. 1989. 22,000 p. Oxford, $995 (0-19-861186-2).
The Oxford English Dictionary on CD-ROM: Version 3.0. 2002. Oxford, $295 (0-19-521888-4).
The Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2000. Oxford, pricing from $795. [http://dictionary.oed.com]
Ideally, any library that can afford it should have some version of this great dictionary. Practically, every library does not have it; but anyone with a college education should be aware that it exists.

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. 2 v. 5th ed. 2002. 3,750 p. index. Oxford, $150 (0-19-860575-7).
Considering it was twenty years between the third and fourth editions of this work, this “abridgement” of Oxford’s flagship OED after fewer than ten years is most welcome. Though general coverage remains largely unchanged from the fourth edition, some welcome changes have been made.

Like the previous edition, this work “sets out the main meanings and semantic developments of words current at any time between 1700 and the present day”. It has “more than one third coverage of the OED” and more than half a million definitions, with 83,500 illustrative quotations from 7,000 authors. Some 3,500 new words have been added. The most welcome change to this edition is that the text is much easier on the eyes than in the fourth edition. With both OED Online and the print Oxford English Dictionary too expensive for most libraries, this is a reasonably priced work deserving a place in almost every library.

Unabridged dictionaries
Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. 2d ed. 2001. 2,230 p. Random, $49.95 (0-375-42566-7).
This is a slight revision of the Random House Dictionary of the English Language (2d ed., 1987). A 1,000-entry new word section begins the volume. COM (as in Comedy Central); Heaney, Seamus; and spam are listed here, but so is pyracantha, which was in Webster’s New International Dictionary, second edition, published in 1937. The main part of the dictionary still contains 315,000 words with black-and-white illustrations. Ready-reference material is incorporated into the definitions – a list of selected airport codes, Morse Code, members of the United Nations, and more. For many words the approximate date of first use is mentioned.

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary: Unabridged. By Philip Babcock Gove. 1993. 2,783 p. Merriam-Webster, $119 (0-87779-201-1).
This famous volume with more than 450,000 entries, the ultimate U.S. unabridged dictionary, was originally published in 1961 and republished in 1993 with an addenda of 65 pages of new words. Merriam-Webster is planning a fourth print edition but not for the near future. However, a new revision of the third edition with an expanded addenda section will be available later this year. There is also an online version, Merriam-Webster Unabridged.

Comprehensive dictionaries
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 4th ed. 2000. 2,116 p. Houghton Miffin, $60 (0-395-82517-2).
The fourth edition of AHD has added color photographs and 10,000 new words, bringing the total to well over 200,000. The editors concentrate on usage, which makes this more prescriptive than other current dictionaries. Notes – regional, synonym, usage, and history – appear in boxes by relevant entries. The illustrations are varied – one two-page spread has pictures of a samovar, Samoyed, sampan, samurai, George S and, and a sand dollar. An abridged version of AHD is available free of charge.

New Oxford American Dictionary. By Frank R Abate and Elizabeth Jewell. 2001. 2,064 p. Oxford, $50 (0-19-511227-X)
This is the most recent of the comprehensive dictionaries (between an unabridged and a college dictionary in size), with about 250,000 definitions. The entries are structured around “core” senses, with subsenses grouped a round the core (e.g. cowl – “large loose hood”: subsense include a monk’s cloak, a hood-shaped covering of a chimney, the part of a car that supports the dashboard). Definitions, place-names, biographical entries, and proper names are interfiled, so we find Jackson (the city) appearing together with Andrew, Jesse, Mahalia, Michael, and Thomas Jackson (all expect Mahalia have photos) as well as Jackson Hole, Jacksonian, and Jacksonville.

The World Book Dictionary. 2v. 2001. 2,430 p. World Book, $99 (0-7166-0298-9).
The number of entries (225,000) in this set puts it in the comprehensive section, but the price is closer to that of an unabridged dictionary. Because it is to be used in conjunction with The World Book Encyclopedia, biographical and geographical entries are not included. In addition, because it supposedly reflects the way people should speak, offensive language is not included. The definitions are clear and concise, with the most common meaning first. Sentences or quotations enhance the meanings, as do numerous line drawings.

College or desk dictionaries
The American Heritage College Dictionary. 4th ed. By Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Houghton Mifflin, $26 (0-618-09848-8).
This is now the most current college dictionary, with 9-11, 9/11 listed between nine days’ wonder and ninepin. Population figures for U.S. cities are from the 2000 census. The volume has the same attractive format as the larger American Heritage Dictionary of English Language, with photos and line drawings in the outside margin of each page. However, the illustrations are fewer, and they are not in color. AHCD also sharers with its parent boxes for usage notes, synonyms, regionalism and word histories.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 2001. 1,600 p. Merriam-Webster, $24.95 (0-87779-709-9).
The 10th edition was first published in 1993, but like other college dictionaries, it is updated annually. The 2001 version contains new words (DVDs, dot-com) that were not in earlier printings. In most similar dictionaries, biographical and geographical entries are interfiled with word entries, but here they have their own sections. This is the first current dictionary to be available on the Web free of charge [http://www.merriam-webster.com/].

Microsoft Encarta Dictionary. Ed. by Anne H. Soukhanov. 2001. 1,687 p. St. Martin’s, $24.95 (0-312-28087-4).
Editor Soukhanov believes a dictionary should provide help for people who have trouble speaking or writing English. Thus, entries include misspellings (e.g. suprise, and incorrect spelling of surprise). Technological words are designated by a lightning bolt; support is so designated because the eighth definition is “to provide technical support for a computing system.” Not surprisingly, new words concentrate on technology – for instance, TTL4N, tt. Illustrations are limited to a few small black-and-white photographs and simple line drawings. There are boxes for quick facts, correct usage, and “literary links”. The number of entries is greater than in other college dictionaries, but perhaps the misspellings are included in that number.

The Oxford American Dictionary and Language Guide. 1999. 1,330 p. Oxford, $35 (0-19-513449-4)
Even though this isn’t described as a college dictionary, it fits the b ill. The words and definitions are taken from the Oxford database (200 million words). It includes many line drawings and shaded boxes containing spellings, synonyms, and pronunciation tips as well as word history for some words. A language guide and numerous almanac-type lists are also included.

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. 2d ed. 2001. 1,573 p. Random, $24.95 (0-375-42560-8) Described as the dictionary that has the most words, the 2001 printing includes definitions of burn (a CD) and mouse potato. The prefatory material lists new words by decades, and a supplement provides a guide for avoiding insensitive and offensive language. Random House concentrates on definitions, so line drawings are few and far between.

Webster’s New World College Dictionary. 4th ed. Ed. by Michael Agnes. 2001. 1,716 p. Hungry Minds, $23.95 (0-0286-3118-8)
This dictionary, first published by World Publishing, is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a revision and a new publisher, Hungry Minds (publishers of the For Dummies series). It is a descriptive source with fewer entries and illustrations than the other college dictionaries, yet it is the dictionary of choice for the AP, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. Definitions are arranged historically, and Americanisms are starred. The 2001 printing offers 150 new terms, including eye candy and road rage.

Webster’s II New College Dictionary. Rev. ed. 2001. 1,514 p. Houghton Mifflin, $24 (0-395-96214-5).
Originally published in 1995 and updated in 2001, Webster’s II has a definition of Internet but not of chat room. There are 200,000 entries, with no obscene words and very few illustrations. Biographical and Geographical definitions are in separate sections.

2003 Encyclopedia update

by Susan Awe and Barbara Bibel

This year’s Encyclopedia Update features reviews of four print sets - Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, The New Book of Knowledge, and World Book Encyclopedia. We also take a look at their online counterparts as well as Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia.

From our perspective, the encyclopedia world has been fairly quiet over the past year. Compton’s Encyclopedia reverted back to its previous owner, Britannica, and they supplied us with statistical data about the new edition, which we included in our “Encyclopedias in Print” chart, although the set itself was not available in time for us to review. We hope to include it in a future issue along with New Standard Encyclopedia, which also had a late publication date.

Online encyclopedia publishers have been taking a more global approach lately, bundling several different databases together to supplement and expand their encyclopedia offerings. Grolier Online has offered simultaneous searching of Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, and New Book of Knowledge, along with several other databases, for several years. Britannica recently followed suit by adding Britannica Encyclopedia to Encyclopedia Britannica Online. This year, World Book has changed the name of World Book Online to World Book Online Reference Center to reflect a shift away from the stand-alone encyclopedia model.

For last year’s update we paid particular attention to how encyclopedia publishers handled September 11, a challenge because it occurred relatively late in the year. This year we decided to focus on its aftermath, including events leading up to the war in Iraq. We also took a look at the entries for some key players – Tony Blair, George W. Bush, and Hamid Karzai, among others. In addition, we checked the handling of some emerging diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and West Nile virus.

Encyclopedia Britannica. 32 v. 15th ed. 2003. Britannica, $1,395 (0-85229-961-3). Encyclopedia Britannica Online. [Internet database]. 2003. Britannica, pricing begins at $195/year. http://www.eb.com/
Encyclopedia Britannica (EB) continues to be an authoritative resource. The 64,900 articles are signed by more than 4,300 contributors and have extensive bibliographies. The latest printing of the fifteenth edition retains the Micropaedia/Macropaedia/Propaedia structure that originated with great fanfare in 1974: short articles for quick reference in the Micropaedia, in-depth treatment of broad tropics in the Macropaedia, and an “outline of knowledge” in the Propaedia.
New entries cover the September 11 attacks, al-Jazeera, and al-Qaeda, all in the Micropaedia. September 11 attacks includes a map showing the flight plans of the doomed planes and a picture of the World Trade Center in flames. Others among the 115 new entries include Barbie, Botox, Designer drugs, Ecoterrorism, Ethnic cleansing, and Swiss Army knife. Among the 64 rewritten or revised articles are Crusades, Geometry, Intelligence and counterintelligence, and Solar system. Twelve new maps and 180 new illustrations make the material more current. There is no coverage of SARS (too new), but users will find West Nile virus. Unless attached to rewritten entries, the bibliographies have not been updated.

The Macropaedia article on Afghanistan is 12 pages long and has been updated in several places to reflect changes in 2002, although there is no mention of Hamid Karzai’s election on June 13. The index misses the reference in the article to the September 11 attacks. The Micropaedia article on George W. Bush, which ends with the November 2002 elections, mentions his efforts during that year to focus world attention on Iraq. The Macropaedia article on Iraq ends in 2000, but users are referred to the Britannica Book of the Year for later developments.
We particularly like EB’s coverage of non-U.S. topics. Macropaedia articles on other countries and on cities outside the U.S. can be extensive. United Kingdom is 137 pages; Vienna and Venice are 6 and 8 pages respectively; West Indies is almost 70 pages. We also like the extensive, scholarly Macropaedia bibliographies. The three-part structure can be cumbersome, so users should check the index first (in fact, the Macropaedia often prompts them to do so) in order to take fullest advantage of what EB has to offer.

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (EB Online) has a clean, uncluttered home page with a single search box. Users may search with keywords, Boolean operators, and truncation. They may also browse alphabetically or by broad subject area. A spell-check option in the search engine will help them find what they need even if they are unsure of the correct letter combination. They have a choice of searching Encyclopaedia Britannica, Britannica Student Encyclopedia (geared toward middle-school students), Britannica Internet Guide, or video and media separately or in any combination. These tools offer more than 123,000 articles, 22,000 illustrations, 215,000 dictionary entries, and 167,000 web links. In addition to the encyclopedia, users have access to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and Collegiate Thesaurus, as well as a world atlas. Updates are monthly.

Britannica states that EB Online has 264 new and 2,565 replaced articles. Among the new entries are those for select U.S. counties, absent from the print set. Some articles differ substantially from corresponding entries in the print set; the new one on Pope John Paul II, for example, is more current and much more detailed and also adds a list of further reading, which the Macropaedia article does not provide. Because of the option to search several databases, users also have access to 272 new and 589 replaced articles in Britannica Student Encyclopedia and 505 new articles in Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. As with the print version, users must refer to the yearbook for more current information on Afghanistan; this is true for all of the articles about countries. The article on Iraq ends with the Persian Gulf War, although the Britannica Student Encyclopedia entry is somewhat more current. The George W. Bush entry is more up-to-date than that in the print set, with information from March 2003 about the launch of U.S. attacks on Iraq. The Saddam Hussein entry has been similarly updated. Oddly, among the Web links for the new September 11 attacks article, users will find sites for the Starr Report (issued on September 11, 1998) and Apollo 11. The video and media links are irrelevant, too. They include videos on heart attacks and plants (“defenses against attacks”).

There is no information on SARS. Entering severe acute respiratory syndrome produces information about the respiratory system and links to articles on various syndromes. A brief article about West Nile virus has basic information and good Web links to the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, but the video links are strange. There are videos on the Virginia Woolf-Vita Sackville-West relationship, the Notre Dame-West Virginia football game, and the Nile in ancient Egypt, among others.

There are a number of special features available in EB Online. The Workspace button on the menu bar allows users to mark articles and store them for research projects. Britannica Heritage has articles from previous editions by notable contributors as well as galleries of maps and images so that users can learn about the “changing nature of human knowledge”. Interactive time lines charts the development of the arts, sciences, technology, etc. The world atlas allows users to click on a part of the world to see regional maps or on index tabs to select political, physical, or economical maps. To see a map of an individual country, one must click on it to go to the article about the country and then click on the map.

The Annals of American History Online is a collection of primary source material from more than 1,500 authors. It includes speeches, landmark court decisions, and essays. Users may search alphabetically by author; by subject (discrimination and diversity, war and peace, American democracy, etc.); or by a time period. The Britannica Online School Edition [RBB N 1 02], for K-12 students, is also a special subscription. It includes the Encyclopedia Britannica, Britannica Student Encyclopedia, and Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia as well as extra materials for teachers to use in the classroom.

Conclusion: EB retains its position as an excellent scholarly reference source for public, academic, and secondary-school libraries. EB Online has current, authoritative information at several reading levels, an excellent selection of Web links, and links to magazine articles. Although it may not be as up-to-date as other online encyclopedias, EB Online is an excellent resource for academic, public, and high-school libraries.

Encyclopedia Americana. 30v. 2002. Grolier, $1,049 (0-7172-0136-8)Encyclopedia Americana Online. [Internet database]. Grolier, pricing from $515 in combination with other Grolier Online products. Visit http://go.grolier.com for free 30-day trial.

Encyclopedia Americana (EA), known for thorough scholarly coverage since it was first published in 1829, had numerous changes for 2003 – adding 50 distinguished new contributors, adding 135 new color photographs and 25 new black-and-white ones, and revising or adding 160 bibliohraphies – in addition to ongoing projects. There are 44 new entries, among them Direct marketing; East Timor; Graves, Michael; Iguanadon; and Mississippian Culture. Aztecs, Eskimos, Microbiology, and Psychiatry are among the 29 replacement entries, and Adams, Abigail; China: Literature; Encyclopedia; Grasshopper; Hydroelectric power; and Powell, Colin are among 193 entries that have been significantly revised. A focus on Islamic studies resulted in new entries for Islamic philosophy and science and Islamic poetry and revised entries for Islam and Islamic art and architecture. The Space shuttle article mentions the Columbia disaster in February 2003. There is no entry for West Nile virus.

Last year, EA created an index entry for September 11 attacks, under which one could find citations to bin Laden, Osama; Bush, George Walker; disasters; hijacking; New York City; terrorism; and United States. The 2003 edition adds citations to New York Stock Exchange, Pentagon, and Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J. There is a new index entry for Qaeda, al. The article on President Bush is current through the November 2002 elections and mentions possible confrontation with Iraq. Afghanistan has been updated through December 2001 and the installation of Hamid Karzai as interim leader. There is also a new biographical entry on Karzai. In last year’s update we mentioned that many bibliographies have no books added since the 1980s, and this is still the case – Clothing, Compact Disc, and Consumer protection are just a few examples. The most current title in the bibliography for Computers and computer science: history of the computer was published in 1993. Air traffic control has no titles more recent than 1990; the same is true of Interior design (where the illustrations also need a serious facelift). On the other hand, the Afghanistan bibliography includes several titles published in 2002.

Encyclopedia Americana Online (EA Online) is well organized and frequently updated. The attractive splash page leads the user to four modules: Browse, American Journal, Editor’s Picks, and Profiles. Browse is an easy-to-use subject se arch; a more complex Query Builder, allowing highly refined searches, is available in the Advanced Search page. The expanded Americana Journal continues as EA Online’s weekly updated feature and is searchable by keyword as well as country. Editors’ Picks, also updated weekly, contains essays on particular topics, and Profiles assembles 1,500 frequently consulted biographies, classified by subject. An atlas and dictionary are available via the GO frame, which simultaneously searches all Grolier databases to which a library subscribes.
EA Online has added thousands of current Web links plus new maps and illustrations. Most of the articles now link directly to the OCLC WorldCat and EBSCO databases. Among the 222 new articles are Bentonville; Bush-Gore Election 2000; Gorey, Edward; Industrial archaeology; Islamic philosophy and science; Mississippian culture; Process philosophy; and Silk Road; the last four examples have also been added to the print set.

EA Online has many advantages over its print counterpart in terms of currency. Among the articles that have been replaced or significantly revised but not in print are Bonhoeffer, Dietrich; Caffeine; Carbohydrate; Ecology; Germany; Pacemaker; and Social sciences. The online version of Consumer protection has an updated section relating to the European Union and a 2001 title in its bibliography. The online Iraq article is more current, adding a paragraph with information from late 2002. Afghanistan ends at the same point as the article in the print set—December 2001—but for both countries, the online version has a more extensive bibliography with several very current titles as well as links to magazine articles and Journal entries are also the sources for updated information on Tony Blair, whose encyclopedia entry ends in 1998. There is no entry for West Nile virus, but a full-text search leads to the article Encephalitis, where it is mentioned. A Journal search results in nine documents specific to West Nile. The Journal is the only place to find coverage of SARS.

Maps are a good size and readable and print quickly and easily. Most Web links are relevant and current. The fact that Article Titles Search is the default is still a drawback. Searching for George W. Bush results in no hits because George Walker Bush is the proper heading. Another annoying feature is that the search term must be retyped in order to try a full-text search instead.

Conclusion: EA offers in-depth treatment of many topics and is a good choice for academic, public, and high-school libraries, though the appearance of the print version makes it less inviting for students than encyclopedias that use more color. For this reason, libraries might choose to skip the print set and opt for EA Online, which has made improvements in user-friendliness and is the first online encyclopedia to offer an ADA-compliant version.

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. [Internet database] Grolier, pricing from $415 in combination with other Grolier Online databases. Visit http://go.grolier.com/ for free 30-day trial.

Designed for students in grade five and up, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (GME) launched a new version, 3.0, in May 2003, with a new design and an AD-compliant version. Among the new features are Today is…, which highlights birthdays of well-known people as well as historic events; new games and a Games Archive; and a How to Cite This Article link. Searches now retrieve media items as well as articles, listing each separately in the results. The weekly News feature now offers a link to a “selection of respected national and international news stories.” Several enhancements have been made to GME’s multimedia components. For example, videos, panoramas, and maps are now linked to other related material.

The encyclopedia can be searched by keyword or title or browsed by subject. In Advanced Search, users can employ Boolean operators and wild cards. Articles tend to be shorter than those in other encyclopedias, reflecting GME’s roots as the short-entry Academic American Encyclopedia, which Grolier published in print form from 1980 to 1998. Entries are linked to media, to Web sites, and to full-text articles from 700 periodicals available through EBSCO Content Solutions. Among the 600 new articles added since February 2002 are African Union; Labor economics; Nanotechnology; Open source; School vouchers; and Suprefund. There are also new entries for the space probes Aqua, Genesis, and Nozomi. Additional new articles cover topics in British, Irish, and Russian history; Christian contemporary music; and biographies of contemporaries like Michael Bloomberg and Annika Sorenstam. More than 90 articles have been rewritten or replaced, among them Army, E-Commerce, Mars (planet), and United States education. Additionally, 400 new photographs, pieces of art, and multimedia have been added.

The main Afghanistan article is current through March 2003. The article on September 11, 2001, mentions the sentencing of Moroccan Mounir al-Motassadek to 15 years in prison by a German court in 2003. Both the George W. Bush and Iraq articles are current into June 2003. There is also an article on the Iraq war. We found biographical entries for Hamid Karzai and Tom Ridge. The article on SARS is current through May 2003, giving death rate and infection statistics as well as symptoms, though no periodical articles are listed under the Periodicals tab. There is no article on West Nile virus, but it is mentioned in Encephalitis.

The familiar Research Starter feature has more than 150 topics, many in the sciences. Brain Jam is the monthly feature highlighting a subject of current interest and often relates to the calendar month, such as Space Exploration and NASA for July 2003, with a picture of Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon July 20, 1969. Timelines consists of 24 main time-line screens covering world history events from 4,000 B.C.E. to the present. Printing with the Print/Email tab is easy and fast. An atlas and dictionary are available via the GO frame, which simultaneously searches all Grolier databases to which a library subscribes.

Conclusion: GME is an attractive, up-to-date resource for school and public libraries.

The New Book of Knowledge. 21v. 2003. Grolier, $699 (0-7172-0535-5).The New Book of Knowledge Online. [Internet database]. Grolier, pricing from $415 in combination with other Grolier Online databases. Visit [http://go.grolier.com] for free 30-day trial.

The New Book of Knowledge (NBK) provides balanced, appropriate, and engaging coverage of a wide range of topics for students in grades four through six. Many appealing features, illustrations, and maps complement encyclopedia entries. For the 2003 edition, 51 completely new articles were added to the print set, among them Africa Union; Chirac, Jacques; Grief; Giulani, Rudolph; Mesopotamia; Snails and slugs; and Zoology. Fifty-three articles were replaced; including China, Conservation, Contact lenses, Medicine, Narcotics, Shanghai, and Sudan. Another 38 articles, including Arabs, Food supply, Koran, Olympic Games, and Postal Service, received significant revisions. About 1,200 new images, photographs, and works of art were added, and now more than one-third of the space in NBK is devoted to illustrations. Approximately 1,500 bibliographies were added, bringing the total number of titles to nearly 8,000.
The replacement article on Afghanistan is current into June 2002 and Hamid Karzai’s election as president of the Transitional Authority. Terrorism, war on is a new entry, and Bush, George W. and Terrorism were replaced. The Bush entry notes his address to the United Nations in September 2002, and the new entry on Tony Blair mentions the prime minister’s support for Bush’s plans to disarm Iraq. The postdeadline Columbia space shuttle disaster made it into the entries for Space exploration and travel and Space shuttles.

Each volume has its own index with blue pages, which makes it easy to locate, and there is a well-constructed comprehensive index volume for the set. Items such as pictures, maps, and diagrams are clearly identified in the index entries. Unfamiliar words are often defined briefly in the index, which is very helpful. All entries are signed, with a few words to identify the contributor; additionally, experts have reviewed some of the entries. Bibliographies appear in the “Home and School Reading and Study Guides,” which accompanies the print set and is also available online.

Articles in The New Book of Knowledge Online often contain graphics, fact boxes, projects and links to related NBK News stories (updated weekly), Web sites, articles in around 50 selected magazines appropriate for the elementary- and lower-middle-school level, and further reading lists. Longer articles have tables of contents allowing users to easily access the sections they want. Under NBK News, SummerScoops is a fun section that currently links to the Great Outdoors, Sightseeing.com, Rainy Day Fun, Summer Reading, and more. Other regular features, such as Wonder Questions, Literary Selections, and Projects and Experiments, are also found in the print set. These features, along with World History Time Line, Homework Help, and Bibliographies, are all accessible from every screen in the left frame. Encyclopedia Spotlight (a monthly topic) and Web Feat! (a fun-and-games approach to learning) are accessible only from the main page. Printing from all sections is easy to do and works quickly. An atlas and dictionary are available via the GO frame, which simultaneously searches all Grolier databases to which a library subscribes.

A Subject Browse, Alphabetical Browse, and Advanced Search are available in addition to a full-text Quick Search. A Quick Search for September 11 yielded a useful collection of 143 encyclopedia articles and NBK News stories, while Afghanistan retrieved 78 articles and news stories. Being able to retrieve articles and updates in a single search is a great feature, making Quick Search very user-friendly. The George W. Bush article discusses the president’s State of the Union speech and also the start of the U.S.-led invasion on March 19, 2003. The article on Iraq mentions the fall of Baghdad on April 9, and there is a separate entry for Iraq War. The entry for Sadaam Hussein has been updated to record the fall of his regime. Users can link to information on both SARS and West Nile virus in NBK News and encyclopedia articles.

Conclusion: In both its print and online version NBK is well suited to its young audience, a group generally underserved by reference publishers. Its many appealing features encourage children to explore and to develop good research skills.

World Book Encyclopedia. 22 v. World Book, $849. (0-7166-0103-6). World Book Online Reference Center. [Internet database]. World Book, pricing from $395. Visit http://www.worldbookonline.com/ for a free 30-day trial.
World Book (WB) continues to be a first choice for libraries, schools, and homes. The 2003 print edition has 114 new articles. They include Blood doping, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Hot spot, and Intellectual property. John Ashcroft, Hugh Maskela, Marcia Muller, and Sara Paretsky are a few people covered in the new biographical entries. Some 184 articles have been extensively revised or rewritten, among them Cancer (disease), Basques, Element – chemical, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Khyber Pass, and Food additive. More than 190 maps have been revised, and 350 new photographs have been added. The editors have revised 294 bibliographies. This year’s special volume is World Book Focus on Terrorism, which contains encyclopedia articles and special reports on topics such as “The Attacks on September 11” and “Homeland Security: Fighting Terrorism at Home”.

World Book is almost always up-to-date, although its early revision deadline – printing of the 2003 edition began in October – means that it misses events that some other encyclopedias are able to include. New entries cover the Department of Homeland Security, al-Qaeda, Tom Ridge, and the Taliban. The Afghanistan entry has been rewritten and is current through the establishment of the transitional government in April 2002. The article on terrorism covers new airport security procedures. The entries on Tony Blair and George W. Bush both make reference to the war in Afghanistan abut have not yet been updated to reflect later events. Also not yet updated are the entries for Sadaam Hussein and Iraq. There is no entry for Hamid Karzai. The index is detailed and easy to use, including page numbers for illustrations and maps.

In July the name World Book Online was changed to World Book Online Reference Center (WBORC) to reflect the fact that it offers access to multiple databases. The World Book database contains the complete text of the print edition and the World Book Dictionary as well as 8,000 articles created for the electronic version and 13,000 Back in Time articles from earlier annual supplements. Users may browse by broad subject area or media type or use the Basic or Advanced keyword search functions. The advanced search mode allows Boolean operators, limits (article text, title word, atlas, media type, Back in Time, or special reports), and truncation.

The more than 800 new articles in WBORC include biographies of all Nobel Prize winners and all current U.S. senators; NBA teams; current news topics (Department of Homeland Security, LASIK surgery, Obesity); and biographies of celebrities and political leaders (Mahmoud Abbas, Julia Child, Tommy Franks). Angogenesis, Chatres Cathedral, and Microelectromechanical systems are among the revised articles. The article on Afghanistan has been rewritten with Web links to the Country Study and Background Notes from the State Department, the CIA Factbook, and the Washington Post as well as Canadian and British new sources, along with magazine articles from EBSCO Content Solutions. There is an article on the war in Iraq (here called “Persian Gulf War of 2003”) as well as a special “War in Iraq” feature. The entries on Tony Blair and George W. Bush are both more current than those in the print set, noting the beginning of the war; Hussein, Sadaam and Iraq both note the toppling of the former leader’s regime. The article on AIDS has been extensively revised, with a map showing the worldwide incidence of the disease and a brief discussion of the cost of therapy and drug availability in the Third World. A search for information about SA RS produces an article on the topic as well as a picture showing protection against the spread of the disease in Hong Kong.

Special features in WBORC include Surf the Ages, which is a set of simulated Web sites representing different historical periods. The Back in Time section allows users to see articles about important events in earlier World Book annuals. Today in History lists events that happened on that day with links to relevant articles. The feature of the month highlights an important event that occurred during that month – in July it was hurricanes. Behind the Headlines links users to articles that provide background for current events. Clicking on the More Resources box in the menu bar leads users to tools for parents, teachers and students.

In addition to World Book and its suite of features, WBORC offers access to a Spanish-language encyclopedia and World Book Research Libraries. World Book Research Libraries, requiring a separate subscription, offers eight extensive collections of primary sources in broad subject areas – science, literature, history, and so on. Clicking on the Research Library link takes users out of the World Book site with no link to return, a minor inconvenience.

WBORC is very current. Features such as Behind the Headlines are revised daily, and new and revised articles are added monthly. Web links are validated on a continuous basis. The new site design is easier to navigate, and it makes all of the features available from anywhere in the site. Articles download faster, too. The print capability now allows users to print specific sections of an article, which saves ink and paper. These improvements plus the broad range of content at several different reading levels make World Book an excellent resource for school and public libraries.

Conclusion: World Book is recommended for its high-quality, current, and accurate information in attractive print and online packaging.

Pathfinders: A way to boost your information handouts beyond booklists and bibliographies

by Alice Sizer Warner

My introduction to “Pathfinders” came in Prof. James Matarazzo’s class in Literature of Science and Technology at Simmons library school. Matarazzo handed around a hat containing slips of paper and told us to choose one at random. Each was inscribed with a technical topic quite foreign to most of us. My slip read, “Computer Aided Design,” something I considered quite daunting in the early ‘70s. I swapped with another student for “Reinforced Concrete Boats”.

The assignment was for each of us to compile a pathfinder – a bibliographic tool designed to get patrons up to speed fast in finding out by themselves what they want to know. We were to use the Massachusetts Institute of Technology library collection as a base. Pathfinders that passed the scrutiny of Matarazzo and MIT librarians would actually be used for the benefit of MIT patrons. Winning pathfinders would eventually be published by Addison-Wesley – a heady prospect for mere students.

Those early pathfinders, “designed to help users begin to locate published information in specific fields,” were developed under a grant from the Council on Library Resources by the staff of the Project Intrex Model Library Program at MIT. Topics were not limited to the purely technical; other pathfinders covered subjects ranging from “Apartheid” to “Juvenile Delinquency”.

Setting the pattern
MIT pathfinders covered two pages, two columns to a page, and followed a rigid pattern:

• “Scope” (A definition. The scope for “Juvenile Delinquency,” for instance, was, “Those social acts of nonadult persons that are prohibited by law or are socially disapproved.”)
• “An introduction to this topic appears in…” (Usually the best introductions were in encyclopedias or specialized dictionaries.)
• “BOOKS dealing with… are listed in the subject catalog. Look for…” (Usually three descriptors were indicated, “highly relevant,” “also relevant,” and “more general”.)
• "ENCYCLOPEDIAS and HANDBOOKS which contain information on… are…” (Specific references.)
• “BIBLIOGRAPHIES which contain material on … include …” (Source listings too long to include in the pathfinder.)
• “JOURNAL ARTICLES and other literature on… are listed primarily in these guides” (Specific reference to indexes, including relevancy of various subject descriptors. These varied amazingly well from index to index, as well as year to year.) This was followed by, “Other indexes, listed here, should be used for an exhaustive search. Only a limited return can be expected for the time spent. Directions are generally given in the front of each issue.”
• “JOURNALS that often contain articles relevant to … are …” (This led users to magazines appropriate for browsing.)
• Appropriate sections on reviews, symposiums, conference proceedings, U.S. Government documents, United Nations publications, or other international documents.
  
  Project Intrex is a decade gone, but the pathfinder concept remains timely.

Spreading the world
Pathfinders can be teaching tools. For the last three years I have taught a one-day seminar called “Women and Business Ownership,” using a six-page pathfinder now in its sixth edition. Following the pattern, I start with a scope: “U.S. women own and manage a growing number of businesses, most of them small. Many of these women face special societal, personal, family, and business challenges because of their womanhood. Yet no woman is exempt, nor should she be, from the legal, fiscal, managerial, planning, and profitmaking responsibilities inherent to all businesses.” The pathfinder shows “Women in business” to be the most relevant catalog heading, while “Women entrepreneurs” serves in Readers’ Guide. I suggest books and articles from the 1980s, and list those still useful from the 1970s.

The pathfinder then moves outside the library, and addresses the Small Business Administration, small business trade groups, and seminars. Information is given on pertinent, self-teaching, computer-aided courses, and on loans, counseling, networks, women-owned businesses, and business newspapers.

Compiling this pathfinder took a good deal of time, but the time it saves now is enormous. As a teaching crutch, it is invaluable. I print the pathfinders with deliberately wide margins, so students can take notes as we go through, item by item. Also the text is on a word-processing computer, so updates are easy to produce.

The one-page pathfinder on “Finding Information In a Library on Personal Financial Management” (see below) was first compiled for an Air Force course I taught on how to become a personal financial management counselor (yes, we librarians do get off assignments!). Later revisions are being used for community college seminar and adult education groups.

An Information Guild pathfinder:

Finding Information on Personal Financial Management

BOOKS are listed in the library catalogs. Look for:

• “Finance, personal” (most relevant)
• “Home economics – accounting” (also useful)

BROCHURES, PAMPHLETS, etc., may be in the “Pamphlet file” or “Vertical file”. Ask a librarian for location and look under:

• “Family finance”

ARTICLES and other items are indexed in the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature. Look for:

• “Finance, personal” (most relevant)
• “Budget, household” (also useful)
• “Credit”
• “Debt”

REGULAR COLUMNS appear in many magazines. A few examples are:

• Money Magazine (probably the most useful), containing:
  “Money helps: questions and answers,” “Love and money,” and “One family’s finances,” which details how real-life people make specific financial decisions and why
• Newsweek – Jane Bryant Quinn
• Woman’s Day– Jane Bryant Quinn
• Better Homes and Gardens – “Money”
• U.S. News and World Report – “Managing your money”
• Parent’s Magazine – “Money Lines”
• McCall’s – “Money talks”
• Esquire - “Personal finance”
• Ladies’ Home Journal – Sylvia Porter’s “You and your money”
• Redbook – “Mostly money”
• Good Housekeeping – “Your money”
  
  Public library possibilities
  Public libraries are a natural place for pathfinders. Some special suggestions:
  
• Establish a standard format. There is no single “right way,” but pathfinders should be uniform.
• Limit the length to two pages printed on both sides. Avoid the temptation to use legal-sized paper; it can cause copying problems and doesn’t fit conveniently into file folders and school notebooks.
• Choose both universal and regional subjects – pet care and Christopher Columbus, as well as local heroes. Reference librarians know needed topics.
• Communicate with local schools to determine upcoming assignments. Assure authorities that pathfinders enhance student research skills and do not do their homework for them.
• Give specific instructions. Use call numbers and exact directions, such as “File cabinet under big window” and “Paperbacks in front hall.”
• Add “Outside Sources”. Suggest visiting museums and town halls, writing legislators and trade associations, telephoning local offices or 800 numbers.
• Try to prepare the final draft on a word processor. A 12-pitch type setting allows more words to a page than does the common 10-pitch.
• Distribute your pathfinders only after two or three dozen topics become available. Too few can produce unreasonable runs on cited library materials.
• Share with other libraries and adapt others’ pathfinders to your own library. Adapting is important, because the most useful pathfinders are local. My own “Women and Business Ownership” has a very New England slant.
• Investigate the use of volunteers to complete pathfinders. Prepare a job description, perhaps listing available topics. Interview applicants carefully. Be sure volunteers know they will have their work edited. Print compilers’ names on each pathfinder.
• Consider cooperating with a school of library science. Student volunteers could be rewarded with school credit as well as publication, which could be cited on resumes.

Does all this sound like a lot of work? Yes, it does, and it is. The concept of pathfinders may be hard to sell to an overworked staff. Once the project is underway, however, benefits to staff and patrons alike will be evident – time saved, heightened awareness of reference tools, creative achievements, increased interaction between staff and patrons, and great public relations.

Pathfinders. By Warner, Alice Sizer. American Libraries, Mar. ’83, Vol. 14, Issue 3, p.150 2 p. Academic Search Premier.

APA List of references

Diana Hacker. “Social sciences: documenting sources, APA list of references”. http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c09_s2.html

Introduction to Reference: Pathfinders

The intent of a pathfinder is to locate reference materials in a variety of formats. It is also intended to teach the process of creating reference tools for library patrons.

A pathfinder is an introductory list of a variety of sources of information on a specific topic. Often it is created to aid patrons in doing research in a particular library and to acquaint patrons to the holdings of a library in a subject of interest. Alice Sizer Warner defines a pathfinder “as a bibliographic tool designed to get patrons up to speed fast in finding out by themselves what they want to know.” (American Libraries, March 1983, p.150).

Remember, a pathfinder is not meant to be an in depth bibliography so be careful to select a subject whose scope is appropriate for a pathfinder. Canadian history would be too large and Teaching Philosophy to Three Year Olds would be too narrow. A subject should be broad enough to have at least 20 distinct and important sources but small enough to be well covered by this number of sources.

A pathfinder is not comprehensive. It is an introductory list of a variety of sources of information on a specific topic. A pathfinder is not just an ordinary bibliography or list of sources, it is a subject oriented research guide designed to encourage self-directed use of the library.

Categories
All, or most, of the following categories should appear in your pathfinder, generally in the same sequence.

Scope statement: A short definition of the subject, the audience and the library for which the pathfinder was prepared.

Topic: What are you talking about?

Scope: How much of the topic are you covering? All rug collecting, or just collecting one type of rug?
Audience: Who is your audience? College library patrons with a personal interest in the topic? Layperson, professional, students in a particular course? Staff members? Others?

Introductory materials: This section usually describes a specific source which would give a beginner a general introduction or overview. Two or three may be cited as appropriate. May be an encyclopedia article, journal article, chapter of a book, etc.

Subject headings: A listing of the subject headings used in the library’s OPAC under which the user will find sources on the topic. Usually listed in order of importance but can also be ranked qualitatively, by describing as “highly relevant”; “also relevant”; “related” or other terms which indicate their usefulness.

Call Numbers: for browsing in the stacks.

Reference Works: Encyclopedias, handbooks, directories, almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, etc. (online versions to which the library subscribes or which are freely available on the Web are acceptable.) This section generally lists specialized encyclopedias and other reference materials that relate specifically to the topic. Sources should generally provide substantial information on the topic.

Books: List the best two or three books specifically on the topic. Be sure to include the “classic” text on the subject when there is one.

Abstracts/indexes: Include indexing tools, which would be available and list the entry terms that would be most appropriate. If there are magazines, which consistently contain relevant articles, list them here.

Internet resources: (don’t go overboard here, limit yourself to three or four maximum): List here any Internet sites on the topic that have been fully examined and found to be accurate and authoritative.

Non-print sources: e.g. videos: List representative titles when these materials are available. It’s a good reminder that information comes in many formats.

Government publications: (may or may not be appropriate)


Other sources deemed appropriatee.g. individuals (with permission), associations/organizations, etc.

Commentary
The commentary on the search process is something users will never see. However, it details how sources were selected and evaluated.

The sources used to locate each citation on the pathfinder e.g. library OPAC, specific indexes, bibliographies, reference works, search engines/directories and the search terms/strategies employed.
The selection criteria used for each category listed and how the resources included meet these criteria.

The titles of the resources examined, but chose not to include. Why were they rejected?

Guidelines
All bibliographic citations must follow the APA Style Manual. Entries are to be single spaced with double spacing between entries. If there is more than one entry under a heading, list them in alphabetical order. Include call numbers as applicable.

Provide evaluative annotations for the sources on the pathfinder. The annotations do not have to be extensive, one to two sentences not exceeding 50 words will do. There is no need to write in full sentences.

When writing an evaluative annotation it is not sufficient to say “This is a good book/web site on…” You need to state why the source is good, e.g. “site includes an overview of the topic and has a comprehensive list of hotlinks to…”

Further information about writing annotations is available at:

Citation guide: a guide to creating citations for bibliographies and works cited papers
http://libguides.aacc.edu/content.php?pid=4203&sid=25840

Academic writing: Annotated bibliography
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/AnnotatedBibliography.html

How to prepare an annotated bibliography
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm

If there are no materials under a particular category then leave that category out. If you find a category that has not been listed feel free to add it.

Examples
Numerous examples of pathfinders are available over the Internet, e.g.

Chichen-Itza pathfinder http://www.ils.unc.edu/~barrh/pathfinder1.html

Sendero – Shining Path pathfinder http://www.ils.unc.edu/dpr/path/senderoluminoso/sendero_journ.html

Metadata: A Pathfinder http://web.archive.org/web/20041023203516/http://ils.unc.edu/~moony/metadata/metapath.htm

For additional information on pathfinders checkout:

Models for creating pathfinders. Retrieved January 12, 2004, from Springfield Township High School Virtual Library site: http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/pathfindermodels.html

A Pathfinder for constructing pathfinders. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from Wenatchee School District Website.
http://home.wsd.wednet.edu/WSD/Instructional/learnteach/libraries_media/Pathfinders/path.htm

Pathfinder links, Retrieved February 9, 2010 from http://eduscapes.com/earth/informational/path4.html

Western Australia. Dept. of Education and Training. (n.d.) A Pathfinder to develop pathfinders. Retrieved January 12, 2004, from
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/downloads/curriculum/pdevelop.pdf

Template for creating pathfinders. Retrieved January 12, 2004, from Wenatchee School District Web site: http://web.archive.org/web/20031023023440/http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/pathfinder.html

For additional information on APA style check out:

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. (5th ed.) (2001).
Washington, DC : American Psychological Association.

Using American Psychological Association (APA) format (Updated to 6th ed.): Your reference list (2010). http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Using APA format (2003, July 23). Retrieved January 12, 2004, from Ryerson University Library Web site: http://www.ryerson.ca/library/courses/business/bizlib/apa_skills.html

Compiling a bibliography according to APA. (2003, June 11). Retrieved January 12, 2004, from Nova Scotia Community College Web site: http://www.library.nscc.ca/research_assistance/Bibliographic_Styles/apa_guide.asp

Citation style for writing research papers. Retrieved February 9, 2010 from Kwantlen Polytechnic University web site
http://www.kwantlen.bc.ca/__shared/assets/APA_citation8199.pdf