Resources by Document Type - Linguistic Tools

Encyclopedia in engineering

Access encyclopedia articles in French on all the engineering fields :

Techniques de l'ingénieur This link opens in a new window
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French-language encyclopedia covering all fields of engineering. Information is presented according to a European point of view, so the laws and standards mentioned are not necessarily relevant to North America.

The library encyclopedias

Encyclopedia list in the Library catalogue

*You can add additional keywords for your research in the encyclopedias.

General

Britannica
Language : English
Coverage : 1768-
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English encyclopedia that gives you access to articles on new discoveries that are verified before being published and come from trusted sources. The library doesn’t have a membership, therefore some articles could be inaccessible.

Scientific biographies

Biographical encyclopedia of scientists
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Subject : Scientific biographies
Language : English
Third edition
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In this encyclopedia you will find information on over 2400 scientists that contributed in a significant way to the world of science, and on their inventions.

The Wikipedia case

Wikipedia has become an essential resource when it comes to encyclopedias. At Polytechnique Montréal, some teachers proscribe the use of Wikipedia, when others allow it only if it is accompanied by reliable references. Be cautious and verify with your professor before using information from Wikipedia.

Multilingual and commercial free, Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that is mostly used as a research starting point.

Here are some leads to guide you when using Wikipedia (Source : Delsaut, 2016):

Be critical!
Verify the neutrality of the articles, which is one of the pillars of Wikipedia.
Verify the references at the end of the articles.
Read the banner at the top of the page, which indicates known problems and gives a contextual setting or a message to the contributors.
Consult the "Discussion" and "History" sections of the articles (tabs at the top of the article).

There are lots of initiatives from libraries to improve Wikipedia’s content. For example, the workshops "Mardi, c’est Wiki!" at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ).

Formulaire de recherche