Fast and Free Online Facts
Over the past fifteen years, the internet, particularly free online encyclopedia, has turned the research world upside down. These days, it is difficult to image how we would find answers to basic questions without it. In the days before the internet, our best options were to consult a phone book or brave the musty, dusty stacks at the local library. It is almost unimaginable to think how limited our options were. For general knowledge, encyclopedias were the best alternative, but it was often too expensive to own a complete set of encyclopedia for the home. Therefore, school research papers meant spending hours at the local library. Depending upon each library and its funding, that could mean handling bulky old encyclopedia, only to find that the encyclopedia includes information on only fifteen U.S. presidents. Fortunately, we now have access to reliable free online encyclopedias that are the answer to the prayers of every student who cares to do their school work.
With free online encyclopedias, students find, for better or worse, no reason to visit the library, to navigate its stacks, or to deal with that annoying Dewey thingy. There are several online encyclopedia free. These include basic online encyclopedias free that are offered by some of the more popular search engines, user created encyclopedias, and free online encyclopedias offered by the makers of hard copy encyclopedias. While the convenience and accessibility of free online encyclopedias have been a boon for school researchers, and curious people in general, there are also a few things to look out for.
When it comes to free online encyclopedias, one needs to be careful of the reliability of the information that they glean from them. Because the internet is not 100 percent secure, even the most reputable free online encyclopedias are hackable, and thus, content can be changed easily by the right person. Furthermore, wikipedias, or free online encyclopedias that are editable by the public, can be especially dubious. It is because of this public editability that most educators will forbid students from using them as research sources.
It is almost impossible to overstate the convenience that free online encyclopedias offer to the information seeker. This is especially true for anyone who ever sought general information before the advent of the internet. However, when consulting free online encyclopedias, it is wise to check at least three sources to make sure that the information obtained is reliable.
