From D'Alembert to CD-ROM: electronic encyclopaediae, a new paradigm

Abstract

Since the appearance of Diderot and D' Alembert Encyclopédie in the second half of the eighteenth century, encyclopaedias have undergone some modifications but until recently there have been no substantial alteration s to the basic design established by the original authors. The emergence of massive data storage systems and sophisticated methods of information retrieval such as hypertext are bringing about considerable changes in the design of encyclopaedias, especially with respect to the phenomenon of interactivity. Despite the important advances wich have been posible by multimedia and hypermedia technology, it is important to asses such new encyclopaedias critically, to bear in mind their advantages but also their weaknesses in certain environments. A recent report by the European Union stresses the fact that although traditional publishing houses are still reluctant to accept these technological advances, increasing pressures in the field of multimedia technology will soon force them to change.