Free Online Encyclopedia

The Granddaddy of Free Online Encyclopedias: Wikipedia

Wikipedia is unique among encyclopedias in that it is not a fixed document, and therefore can't be used as a reliable reference. However, Wikipedia has more entries by far than any other paid or free online encyclopedia, and recent studies by top scientific magazines like Nature have found that Wikipedia's accuracy and completeness rival those of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Interestingly, since 2002 Scientific American has accepted articles that use Wikipedia as a reference.

There are tons of online disputes as to Wikipedia's reliability, accuracy, and lack of bias. Whatever you've heard, your best bet with Wikipedia is to visit their site and judge for yourself. Some areas lack bias almost completely, like their excellent science entries; other areas, like the current war in Iraq or hot-button topics like abortion and religion, are often biased, sometimes vandalized, and always in dispute.

Other Free Online Encyclopedias

Besides Wikipedia, there are dozens of other free online encyclopedias. The most popular are:

Encyclopedia.com - The only resource free in this online encyclopedia is Columbia Encyclopedia, and it's somewhat dated.

Netcyclo - This online encyclopedia is not a wiki, but rather a human-edited site. It has limited resources.

Nupedia - Though currently inactive, Nupedia's methodology of half-wiki, half-peer-reviewed encyclopedia may be the wave of the future. The current articles are available, but new ones are on hold until funding is found.

Open Site - Another blend of wiki and reviewed content, Open Site is slanted toward more of a popular content direction, with information about games and current events taking primacy over science and philosophy. It's small today, but promising.

Wikinfo - Wikinfo is another wiki similar to Wikipedia, but states blatantly that they have "abandoned" the idea of unbiased information. Instead, they focus on providing multiple points of view. It's an excellent complementary resource for Wikipedia, but like Wikipedia should not be used as a primary source, only a way to get direction.

Faqs.org - Faqs.org is a free online resource compiled from years of Usenet faq sources. It is as eccentric as it is useful and it is hard to navigate, but it is also a treasury of useful information.

Free Online Specialty Encyclopedias

In addition to the general reference encyclopedias and encyclopedic references, you can find some excellent online specialty encyclopedias, especially science and computer references. For instance, look at the following.

Encyclopedia Mythica - This is a well-done site attempting to catalog myths and mythic figures from around the world. Not a wiki, the site owner accepts contributions but requests documentation.

Encyclopedia of World History - Hosted by the excellent Bartleby.com, this is a reasonably good and readable outline of world history.

The CIA World Factbook - Constantly maintained by the US CIA, this is an up-to-date reference on current statistics and maps for all countries. Very accurate and a good citation.

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - A very complete moderated encyclopedia focused on the history and theory of philosophy.

Artcyclopedia - A non-wiki online encyclopedia that is very complete. It is advertiser-supported, but the ads are primarily selling prints of artists the encyclopedia talks about.

Trends in Online Encyclopedias

As the Internet changes, so do online references like encyclopedias. One recent trend is for more and more good reference sources to migrate toward a paying model. A half-dozen encyclopedias that were free in 2005 are paid sites in 2006. You can expect that trend to continue.

Wikis, however, by their very definition are unlikely to ever be primarily paid sites. But you must be careful with wikis when using them in research, as some information you find on them will be incorrect. Always supplement wiki research with research in a static reliable online reference or a print reference from a library.