Abstract:
The advances in computer and communications technologies have improved the facilities
of information access – in-house and/or remote. The optical storage devices with ability to store
pictures and sound and high processing capabilities have added another dimension to the fast
changing trend to information access. These developments are today responsible for the growth
of full text information sources in electronic media. Mainly two types of information sources, the
primary periodicals and the reference works have found it convenient to get into the electronic
form in large number their high utilitarian and generic value. Their number is also increasing in
recent years and many of them are available on INTERNET and on CD. The recent addition to
the category of Reference works in the Encyclopaedia Britannica; (EB) launched on Internet in
1999 with also its CD version. The paper has made a comparative study of both print and
electronic form of the Encyclopaedia from the usage point of view and has concluded their
mutual benefits. A few sample searches conducted with both print and electronic form are
presented in this paper.
