The Harper Encyclopedia of Science [antikvár]

Using This Work The articles in this encyclopedia were prepared according to correlated entry lists covering the various branches of science. The articles are titled concisely, in scientific terms that are likely to be encountered by general readers. Considering the enormous scope of science, the reader will not expect to find here an article on every scientific topic; but after using this work for a time he will acquire a sense of how the material is organized—whether, for example, the topic he is seeking is likely to be found as a long article or a short one, or simply as part of an entry under a different title. If the topic sought is not found as a separate article, a cross reference may be found instead; and if there is no cross reference, the reader may refer to the General Index. The Index should be consulted, as a matter of course, for material that is relatively specialized. The objective in each article has been a well-rounded, if brief, explanation. Close interdependence between different articles is indicated by the cross references, which are in small capitals and are in the form, or approximately the form, of the titles to which reference is made. The policy has been not to give cross references randomly but rather to send the reader only to articles bearing directly upon the material at hand. More extensive cross-referencing is provided by the General Index. Only a limited number of abbreviations—those basic in scientific usage, and likely to be familiar to most readers—have been used in the text. All these, with some additional abbreviations considered standard in scientific usage, are listed on page ix. At the end of each article is a set of initials identifying the author. In an article prepared by more than one author, the part prepared by each carries identifying initials. A complete list of the authors, with initials, begins on page 1275. The General Index, beginning on page 1299, not only lists all substantial topics covered in the articles but also indicates the relationships between them. Overcomplication has been avoided, and trivial citations have been omitted. The Bibliography, beginning on page 1282, represents at the same time a graded reading course in science and a list of books and other publications to which the reader can turn for further information on indexed topics. The introduction to the Bibliography explains its use. —J. W.