Encyclopedia

• A book or set of books of informative articles usually arranged in alphabetical order.
• A reference source containing information on a variety of topics. This information may be supplied in short paragraphs or in lengthy articles that include citations to other works on the same topic. Encyclopedias can be general - covering all topics, or specialized - focusing on a particular discipline such as art or philosophy.
• A work containing factual articles on subjects in every field of knowledge, usually arranged alphabetically. A SUBJECT encyclopedia is a similar work on a single field of activity or a single subject. An encyclopedia can be one volume or many volumes, depending on the amount of material included.
• A reference source containing informational articles on different or a specific field that provide brief but thorough overviews of a range of topics, usually arranged alphabetically by subject.
• An item which provides background information and an overview of a particular subject, person, place, or event. They summarize and synthesize information from a variety of sources and often include a selective bibliography of authoritative books and articles on a topic.