Glencoe Keyboarding with Computer Applications

Use Online Dictionaries

Introduction
Find links to online dictionaries and other online reference tools.

Directions
Read the information below and apply what you learn to answer the questions. Write your answers on a separate piece of paper, or key them into the spaces below. After you finish keying, check your work carefully and click Submit.

Online Reference Tools
The World Wide Web makes it possible to access the most up-to-date reference materials when a print resource is not available or desired. Online reference sites are easy to search and often contain photos and illustrations.

You can find hundreds of online dictionaries that can help you find correct spelling, definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and even translations into different languages. Besides dictionaries, there are online encyclopedias, thesauruses, almanacs, and many other specialized reference materials.

Below are a few Web sites that you may find helpful when looking for information. Remember, though, if you use content or graphics from these Web sites, you must cite your source.

Dictionaries

• Dictionary.comThis site also contains a fully searchable thesaurus.
• Merriam-WebsterA Web version of one of the best-known print dictionaries, this site includes a “word of the day” feature, a thesaurus, and links to other research sites.
• OneLookA “meta-dictionary,” this site lets you key in a word once to search across more than 900 dictionaries.

Encyclopedias

• BritannicaThe online version of one of the most respected print encyclopedias offers both free and premium access, with more content and fewer ads in the premium version.
• EncartaA popular encyclopedia by Microsoft, the Encarta Web site offers lots of free content, but to access all their information you will need to buy either a subscription or a copy of the CD-ROM.

Other Resources

• InfopleaseThe online version of the Information Please Almanac provides facts and figures about people, events, and places. There are also links to other useful reference sources.
• RefDeskA comprehensive site with links to many kinds of information. If you do not know where to start looking for a particular fact or current statistics, start here.
• BartlebyBartleby is fully searchable and contains the complete text of Bartlett's Quotations , Simpson's Quotations , the Columbia World of Quotations , as well as dozens of biographies, articles, and books.

1			What kinds of reference materials can you find online?
2			What kind of information can you find in an online dictionary?
3			What should you always do if you write a report that uses illustrations or content material from an online encyclopedia?
4			If you needed to find a synonym for a word, which of the sources above would you go to first?
5			If you wanted to find out who the 18th president of the United States was, which of the sources above would you go to first?