Encyclopedia Virginia vs Infoplease

Encyclopedia Virginia is a free multimedia and interactive web resource about Virginia’s history and culture. Its topical and biographical entries are written by scholars for general readers, then reviewed by contributors and editors, fact checkers, and copy editors. Articles can include primary documents, images, audio and video clips, and virtual tours; the wider media collection also contains podcasts and 3D objects. Readers can search or browse alphabetically, by biography, category, map, or media. The Encyclopedia Virginia Map App presents historical events through maps, distance-ordered lists, and category filters. Classroom-oriented versions are labeled for Grade 4, Grade 8, and Grades 11+. New entries continue to be published. Since 2012, the project has been digital publisher for the ongoing Dictionary of Virginia Biography with the Library of Virginia. Text uses a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. The site says it does not own copyrights to displayed media objects.

Infoplease is a free web reference and learning site that brings together encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, and almanac material. Its resources cover topics such as history, science, geography, current events, arts, and entertainment, with reference documents, quizzes, timelines, and news. The atlas includes continent, physical, country, and outline maps, geography quizzes, a distance calculator, and a latitude-longitude finder. Country profiles cover subjects ranging from maps and history to population, languages, economy, and government. The Homework Center spans geography, history, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, with resources for writing, research, speaking and listening, and study skills. Math and science materials include conversion calculators, a periodic table, virtual chemistry labs, and a glossary. Infoplease says experts create content using verified sources and fact-checking, and readers can report errors for investigation. It is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational and reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. The site's curated resources are described as free.