Question

do you think encyclopedias remain important research sources? why or why not

Answer 1

The encyclopedia is generally seen as a tertiary source where the information is a combination or compilation of primary and secondary sources. They don't analyze or provide perspectives but provide information in a structured manner. Based on the individual's research objective or scope one can define if an encyclopedia is an important or a primary source for instance historians see the Encyclopedia Britannica (1768) as a primary source as provides very vital and important information. Encyclopedias provide information and also they help in providing other primary or secondary sources that can contribute to the research as important sources. Tertiary sources like Encyclopedia are mostly not accepted as citations as they are not firsthand or primary information and not completely secondary.