Using Biography.com for Academic Research
Free, Semi-Authoritative Source for Biographical Information
Mar 29, 2009
Researchers performing academic research often struggle to find information sources that are both free and authoritative. Authoritative information is defined as information of verifiable origin from sources that are deemed worthy of acceptance as true or factual. Even though many biographical sources are available for free on the internet, most commercial websites are not considered authoritative. Biography.com, however, is both a freely available and semi-authoritative source for biographical information.
About Biography.com
Biography.com is a free online database of biographical information maintained and disseminated by the A&E Television Networks and The Biography Channel. According to the About AETN webpage, the A&E Television Networks is "an award-winning, international media company" that supports "nationwide educational initiatives" through various media including websites like Biography.com. The Biography Channel is also an Emmy-Award winning channel (for the Biography© series) that strives to provide factual programming about real people.
Biography.com contains biographical information on over 25,000 individuals from the past and present. Although the information is stronger and more complete for more contemporary people, in-depth historical biographical information is available, especially for famous and influential individuals such as Abraham Lincoln and Joan of Arc. Biography.com strives to provide users with the most up-to-date and accurate biographical information but is considered semi-authoritative because of its affiliation with for-profit television networks and channels.
Searching Biography.com
Users searching for biographical information on Biography.com can find an array of sources in various media including encyclopedia entries, videos, and photographs. The encyclopedia entries include brief to full biographies, photo galleries, timelines, links to related people, and links to related sites. The Biography.com website also provides access to full-length videos of television shows and episodes on The Biography Channel including the Biography© series.
Academic researchers performing research for biographical information can begin searching on Biography.com by searching the entire source for all available information. The basic search box is prominently located near the top of the Biography.com homepage as well as in the same location on all of the other webpages throughout the source. Researchers simply type the name or part of the name of an individual and click the Go button. The resulting list of potential results is sorted by relevance, with the most recommended biographical entries at the top of the list.
Researchers may also perform advanced searches by clicking on the People link located at the top of each webpage. Users can then search for biographical information by performing name and keyword searches, by browsing alphabetically through all entries, or by browsing by category such as Explorers and Politicians. The Search Bios advanced search feature also includes a top ten list of the most popular searches.
Academic researchers searching for biographical information often encounter difficulties in locating both free and authoritative sources. Biography.com, however, is an internet source available through the A&E Television Networks and The Biography Channel that provides academic researchers with freely available and semi-authoritative biographical information.
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