Encyklopediens rolle i samfunnet, og rollens betydning for encyklopediens utforming

Resumé

The encyclopedia editor has a variety of social roles to choose between, each with
characteristic implications for the encyclopedia at hand: A) as a chronicler of the views
and values of the nation or of a specific ideology, as a conveyer of heritage; B) as a
medium for the scientific and professional community in summarizing their disciplines,
as a forum for the intelligentsia; C) as an organizer of information for public
access, as an enlightener of the people. The article examines the consequences of role
choice for key editorial principles: selection of articles and article content, information
tectonics, language usage and choice of medium. Roles A and B tend to make encyclopedias
difficult to use, and should be applied as a result of the editor's deliberate
choice, and not at the whim of individual contributors.