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McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology Vol. 10

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This Encyclopedia presents pertinent information in every area of modern science and technology. Although the fourth edition is considerably en larged, by about 750 pages and 500,000 words, the organization follows the plan that was so suc cessful in the three previous editions.

The plan calls for broad survey articles to give even the uninitiated reader the basic concepts or rudiments of a subject. Thus there is a survey or lead article for each of the disciplines or large sub ject areas. From the lead article the reader may proceed to other articles that are more restricted in scope. For example,

Petroleum engineering

is a survey article. Cross references in the survey article lead the reader to the more specific articles in this field of which there are, among many others,

Cable-tool drill Geophysical exploration

Oil field model

The pattern of proceeding from the general to the specific has been employed not only in the plan of the Encyclopedia, but in each article as well. Each article begins with a definition of the subject, followed by sufficient background material to give the reader a frame of reference and permit him or her to move into the detailed body of the article. Usually, only the scientific or technological aspect of the subject is discussed. Within the text are boldface and italic subheadings which outline the article; they are intended to enhance understand- ing, and can guide the user who prefers to read selectively the sections of a long article.

Though each article is as complete in itself as practical, every article has been provided with cross references to related articles in the Encyclo- pedia. These cross references are set in small capi tals for emphasis and are inserted at the points in the text where they are relevant. In all, some 50,000 Cross references are given. Often these references may lead to areas which may not have occurred to the reader. For example, the article Chlorine has such diverse cross references as HALOGEN ELEMENTS, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS, BLEACHING, and HYPOCHLORITE.

The articles are arranged in alphabetical se quence in 14 volumes, and the reader can often find what is wanted by simply choosing the volume bearing the appropriate letter.

Some article titles contain parenthetical infor- mation for clarification:

Cell (biology)

Land drainage (agriculture)

Some article titles are inverted so that subject matter can be grouped:

Earth, heat flow in Earth, interior of

Alphabetization is by word, not by letter, with a comma providing a stop, so that the two article titles just above are followed by

Earth inductor Earth sciences Earthmover Earthquake

Since biology offers the most elaborate subject matter, every phylum, class, and order in the plant and animal kingdoms is allotted a separate article. Many of the common families, genera, and species are covered either within an article on the order or a separate article under the scientific or com mon name.

Every article has the contributor's full name, not only as a credit but because the name of the au- thor is often an important data element in itself. Each author is further identified in an alphabetical Contributors List in vol. 15. It cites the univer sity, laboratory, or business with which the author is affiliated and the titles of the articles written.

Most of the articles contain bibliographies cit- ing useful sources. The bibliographies are placed at the ends of articles or sometimes at the ends of major sections in long articles. For additional bibliographies, the reader should refer to related articles (indicated by cross references). Thus, the alphabetical arrangement of article

titles, the subheadings, the cross references, and the bibliographies permit the reader to pursue a particular interest by simply taking a volume from the shelf. However, the reader can also find infor mation in the Encyclopedia by using the Analyti cal Index and the Topical Index in vol. 15. The Analytical Index contains each important term, concept, and person-140,000 entries in all-men- tioned throughout the 14 text volumes. It guides the researcher to the volume numbers and page numbers concerned with a specific point. The reader wishing to consult everything in the Ency clopedia on a particular aspect of a subject will find that the Analytical Index is the best approach. A broader approach may be made through the Topical Index, which groups all article titles of the Encyclopedia under nearly a hundred general headings. For example, under "Geophysics" more than 80 articles are listed, and under "Photog raphy" more than 50. The Topical Index thus en- ables the reader quickly to identify all articles in the Encyclopedia in a particular subject area.

A feature of the Encyclopedia is the section "Scientific Notation in the Encyclopedia" in vol. 15. It clarifies usage of symbols, abbreviations, and nomenclature, and is especially valuable in making conversions between International System, U.S. Customary, and metric measurements.

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Detail Information

Series Title

-

Call Number

56.030.1 MCG e

Publisher

Philippines : McGraw-Hill Book Coy, Inc.., 1977

Collation

749 hal.: ill.; 28,5 cm

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

-

Classification

56.030.1

Content Type

-

Media Type

-

Carrier Type

-

Edition

10

Subject(s)

Technology
Science
Encyclopedia

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