Encyclopedia Britannica (2024)

FAQs

Can you trust Encyclopedia Britannica as a source? ›

With contributions from Nobel laureates, historians, curators, professors and other notable experts, Britannica Academic provides trusted information with balanced, global perspectives and insights that users will not find anywhere else.

A.J. Jacobs was not the first to read the entire Britannica. The earliest recorded example was Fath Ali, who upon becoming the Shah of Persia in 1797, was given a gift of the 3rd edition of the Britannica.

Undergraduates are rarely permitted to cite encyclopedia articles. Ask your professor if you plan to do so. The reason for this prohibition has to do with the function of reference works. Encyclopedias are best suited to providing background information rather than in-depth analysis or novel perspective.

For serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, 4 were found in Wikipedia, and 4 in Britannica (1:1). The study concluded that "Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries", although Wikipedia's articles were often "poorly structured".

- Britannica is highly used in Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences, compared to the other encyclopedias. Articles in these two subject areas may reference facts or definitions for historical or cultural topics, such as a citation to a Britannica article on the Palmer raids 1919-22 in the USA.

No, the Encyclopedia Britannica is generally a tertiary source. An encyclopedia references information without any analysis or opinion; therefore, it is a tertiary source.

Elon Musk was raised by books. He often spent several hours a day reading science fiction because it was an opportunity to peer into humanity's future among the stars, per CNBC. “It's said he read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica at age nine and would pore through science fiction novels for more than 10 hours a day.”

Long before he became the CEO of Tesla, and even before he cofounded PayPal, a young Elon Musk was reading science-fiction novels for up to 10 hours a day. He also reportedly read through the entire Encyclopedia Britannica when he was 9 years old. He still credits a love of books for his vast knowledge about rockets.

Encyclopedias are considered a scholarly source because the content is almost always written by scholars on the subject. However, the entries are not written for other scholars but for a general audience. Entries are reviewed by an editorial board, but they are not “peer-reviewed”.

In general, information in the Encyclopedia Brittanica should count as reasonably reliable general information. You must cite it if you quote directly, and probably should in any case at all questionable.

Why are encyclopedias not credible sources? ›

Note: While encyclopedias are reviewed and edited before being published, they are not peer reviewed and should rarely be cited in scholarly writing.

Entries in an encyclopedia are short and not appropriate as a cited source for a research paper, but they provide a quick overview of a topic and will jumpstart your research. Encyclopedia entries often include citations to additional books, articles or websites for further reading on the topic.

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Since 1768, Encyclopaedia Britannica has partnered with the world's foremost institutions and experts — from public servants, social leaders, and heads of state to professional athletes, pioneering artists, Nobel Prize winners, scholars and independent writers, and graduate students, as well as niche craftsmen, ...

Encyclopædia Britannica has nearly 250 years of experience creating trusted and reliable content. Our legacy and pedigree enable parents to feel confident they've made a smart decision with our service.

Britannica's editorial process

Over the following two centuries, Britannica established its reputation for clarity, accuracy, objectivity, and fairness by drawing on the best authorities of every era, whether the latest published scholarship or the most respected Nobel Prize winners.

If you need background information on a topic, or need to find out who the major theorists are in a field, you can find that information in encyclopedias. Note: While encyclopedias are reviewed and edited before being published, they are not peer reviewed and should rarely be cited in scholarly writing.

In general, information in the Encyclopedia Brittanica should count as reasonably reliable general information. You must cite it if you quote directly, and probably should in any case at all questionable. (You need not for, say, the dates of the Civil War.)