Bits and Pieces

So I've now done a bit of research around my chosen topic of 'whatever is left that I can find and seems relevant'.

Firstly the very basic:

the definition of an encyclopaedia

- from dictionary.reference.com

1. "A book or set of books containing articles on various topics, usually in alphabetical arrangement, covering all branches of knowledge or, less commonly, all aspects of one subject
2. the french work edited by Diderot and D'alembert, published in the 18th century, distinguished by its representation of the views of the Enligtenment

-from the Encyclopaedia Brittanica

1. reference work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or that treats a particular branch of knowledge in a comprehensive manner

My other info is all from the Encyclopaedia Brittanica website (www.brittanica.com) and there is ALOT of it...I've printed most of the relevant stuff off so if we meet up we can go through it, put I'll put the basics up here so we know what we've got.

• Encyclopaedias have existed, in one form or another for over 2000 years
• the word encyclopaedia comes from the greek enkyklios paideia meaning "general education"
• A German writer Paul Scalic was the first to use the word to describe his book in its title 'Encyclopaedia; seu Orbis disciplinarum, tam sacrarum quam propanum epistemon'. Before this similar books existed, but none used the name encyclopaedia. However the name was not commonly accepted until its use in Didrot's Encyclopdie, when it became fashionable.
• Encyclopaedias are often subject to bias. This may be from the writers of the articles because of their opinions on their subjects. however sometimes "A great encyclopaedia is inevitably a sign of national maturity and, as such, it will often pay tribute to the ideals of its country".
• When publishing, Diderot faced opposition from the church and the state, and this caused some copies to be printed in secret, and the last 10 "were issued with a false imprint".
• Most encyclopaedias were written in Latin for a long time, as this was the most internationally known language. However this greatly restricted the number of people who could use the books.
• The number of readers was also restricted before printing was introduced, as few copies of each book were available. However once printing was introduced in Europe, productions costs dropped, more books were produced and more people could read them.
• The encyclopaedia originated from the dictionary, and encyclopaedic dictionaries were popular for a time. However their short, fragmented entries meant that readers did not always gain full knowledge of the subject they were interested in.
• The oldest surviving fragments of an encyclopaedia were written by Speusippus, Plato's nephew, who died in 339/338 BC.
• The history of encyclopaedias in China goes back further than that of the West. They have produced them for roughly 2000 years. They differ from our view of encyclopaedias though, as they tend to be anthologies significant literature but with some elements of the dictionary included. Their primary use was often to "aid candidates for civil service".

That's basically a summary of what I found...I know not all of it is entirely relevant :S

If someone could give me some feedback on what else they think we need to find out about that would be great :)

also, when should we have our next meeting??