Encyclopedism
Encyclopedia
Encyclopedism is a term used to describe the practice of structurally indexing readily sourced information into referential works known as encyclopedia
s.
's Natural History having been one of the earliest extant encyclopedias to survive antiquity.
As with other media practices such as journalism
, encyclopedism benefited greatly from the invention of the movable type
printing press
in Renaissance-era Germany, allowing for a greater number of professionals and libraries to attain cheaper editions of encyclopedias in the following centuries, with revised editions of encyclopedic series being issued every few years. But by the 20th century, encyclopedias were increasingly criticized for being verbally inaccessible to younger audiences and lacking in recent updates regarding topics.
One of the earliest individuals to advocate for a technologically enhanced encyclopedia indexing all the world's information was H. G. Wells, who put forward his idea of a World Encyclopedia in his essay World Brain
. Others would put forward similar ideas, but a significant revolution in encyclopedism would not take place until after the advent of the personal computer, the Internet and the World Wide Web in the late 20th century. Hypermedia-based encyclopedias were released on CD-ROM in the 1990s, most of the text of which was directly copied from recent editions of print editions but was also enhanced by the addition of video, audio and interactive media.
, a type of server-side software which was first created by Ward Cunningham
in the early 1990s; the wiki allows for all users to create and edit the content of wiki articles, without regard to the academic credentials of editors.
The Wikipedia model of encyclopedism proved to be both a boon and blight, as the number of articles on a wide variety of topics soon numbered far higher and article sizes were larger than those of print-based encyclopedias, but non-sourced or malicious edits could just as easily be written into articles (but can also be removed if sighted by other editors).
Wikis, on the other hand, are more likely to be edited by knowledgeable or investigative users who are not academically accredited. They are also more likely to be updated with references to recent journalistic articles.
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
s.
History
The practice of encyclopedism dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, with Pliny the ElderPliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
's Natural History having been one of the earliest extant encyclopedias to survive antiquity.
As with other media practices such as journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, encyclopedism benefited greatly from the invention of the movable type
Movable type
Movable type is the system of printing and typography that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document ....
printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
in Renaissance-era Germany, allowing for a greater number of professionals and libraries to attain cheaper editions of encyclopedias in the following centuries, with revised editions of encyclopedic series being issued every few years. But by the 20th century, encyclopedias were increasingly criticized for being verbally inaccessible to younger audiences and lacking in recent updates regarding topics.
One of the earliest individuals to advocate for a technologically enhanced encyclopedia indexing all the world's information was H. G. Wells, who put forward his idea of a World Encyclopedia in his essay World Brain
World Brain
World Brain is a collection of essays and addresses the English science fiction pioneer, social reformer, evolutionary biologist and historian H. G. Wells written during the period 1936-38...
. Others would put forward similar ideas, but a significant revolution in encyclopedism would not take place until after the advent of the personal computer, the Internet and the World Wide Web in the late 20th century. Hypermedia-based encyclopedias were released on CD-ROM in the 1990s, most of the text of which was directly copied from recent editions of print editions but was also enhanced by the addition of video, audio and interactive media.
21st century
The launching of Wikipedia in the 2000s, however, stood out from prior editions of encyclopedias due to its usage of the World Wide Web as its primary platform, its lack of a monetary price for access, and its free licensing. The most controversial aspect of Wikipedia was its usage of the wikiWiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
, a type of server-side software which was first created by Ward Cunningham
Ward Cunningham
Howard G. "Ward" Cunningham is an American computer programmer who developed the first wiki. A pioneer in both design patterns and Extreme Programming, he started programming the software WikiWikiWeb in 1994 and installed it on the website of his software consultancy, Cunningham & Cunningham , on...
in the early 1990s; the wiki allows for all users to create and edit the content of wiki articles, without regard to the academic credentials of editors.
The Wikipedia model of encyclopedism proved to be both a boon and blight, as the number of articles on a wide variety of topics soon numbered far higher and article sizes were larger than those of print-based encyclopedias, but non-sourced or malicious edits could just as easily be written into articles (but can also be removed if sighted by other editors).
As a practice
Since the creation of the first wikis, encyclopedism has been largely divided between the limited resources of academic, print-based encyclopedias and the less-limited resources of wikis on the World Wide Web. Print-based encyclopedias are still printed for library and personal usage, and are usually published as alphabetically grouped portions of each year's iteration. They are also more likely to be authored or edited by academicians, and are far less likely to be updated with newer information for every iteration.Wikis, on the other hand, are more likely to be edited by knowledgeable or investigative users who are not academically accredited. They are also more likely to be updated with references to recent journalistic articles.
Genres
- advocacy encyclopedism - Also like advocacy journalismAdvocacy journalismAdvocacy journalism is a genre of journalism that intentionally and transparently adopts a non-objective viewpoint, usually for some social or political purpose. Because it is intended to be factual, it is distinguished from propaganda...
, "advocacy encyclopedism" can also be skewed toward ideological biases depending upon the target audience of the publishers or administrators. While WikipediaWikipediaWikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
is administrated on the basis of the neutrality of articles and edits, smaller wikis such as ConservapediaConservapediaConservapedia is an English-language wiki project written from a self-described American conservative Christian point of view. The website considers itself to be a supporter of "conservative, family-friendly" content...
and SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
can also take openly ideological, non-neutral stances which differ them extensively from the aims of Wikipedia.
Areas
- Arts encyclopedism - Like arts journalismArts journalismArts journalism is a branch of journalism concerned with the reporting and discussion of the arts. This can include, but is not limited to, film, literature, music, theater, and architecture. Traditionally, journalists and critics writing about the arts had a background in writing and the arts;...
, arts encyclopedism is intended to focus on the details of artistic works, especially works of fiction. These are often edited by fan communities related to such works, and heated debates between editors can focus on the canonicityCanon (fiction)In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
of portions of the work. - Political encyclopedism focuses upon politicians, candidates, polls, elections, bills, laws, campaign promises and political positions.
- Sports encyclopedism focuses upon games, teams and competitors in various sports or competitive games.
- Disaster encyclopedism - in which man-made or naturally caused disasters and catastrophes are covered, with articles on victims, hotspots of conflict or struggle and means of contact with loved ones. This is especially useful to aid workers who are involved in the delivery or preparation of humanitarian relief.