Foreword by the Editor-in-Chief to the 15th volume of the Encyclopedia Herald of Ukraine is given.

The article presents the old printed encyclopedic and reference editions stored in different collections of the Old and Rare Books Department of the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine (VNLU) – incunabula, paleotypes, foreign old books, rare editions, editions in civil and Cyrillic font. The largest number among them is foreign old printed books, but information on domestic editions is also provided. The main goal of the publication is to draw the attention of specialists to these forgotten book monuments of the past and, if possible, to return them to scientific circulation. The methodology of the research and their subsequent quite brief characteristics involved structuring the information according to the chronology of book printing, importance in the society of the time, typological classification of publications, etc. For the convenience of further research work with these sources, each description of the monument is accompanied by a shelf number, assigned by the department. The study has revealed a significant amount and historical importance of encyclopedic and reference publications of the 15th and 18th centuries in the collections of a single specialized department of the library. It is reasonable to continue studying copies of encyclopedic editions of the 19th – early 20th centuries in the collections of the Old and Rare Books Department, as well as conducting a similar study in the collections of other specialized departments of the VNLU.

The article briefly reviews the representatives of the Ukrainian community in Poland with an emphasis on the post-war period, when many Ukrainians ended up in a neighboring state due to the Second World War, and especially due to the deportation of a part of Ukrainians from their ethnic lands caused by the Operation Vistula. The author shows, Ukrainians in Poland did not undergo complete assimilation, on the contrary, Ukrainians have preserved their national identity. Figures who, thanks to their actions and works, contributed to the unification of Ukrainians, contributed to the unification of Ukrainians, the preservation of the Ukrainian language, education, culture, and traditions, can be considered prominent representatives of the Ukrainian people, and therefore should be the focus of attention of specialists in encyclopedia practice and biography studies. The state of academic studies of Ukrainian figures in Poland is outlined as well. The article content is presented by the chronological principle. The author also resorts to grouping personalities according to their social and political activities, belonging to this or that society or other Ukrainian minority groups.

The findings from a pilot study on specific historical aspects of botanical reference books indicate that dictionaries represent a subset of branch reference literature within the corresponding scientific field, essentially serving as systematized derivatives of research studies. Primarily encapsulating informative content, these botanical dictionaries succinctly document objective academic knowledge for distinct periods. The evolution of reference books (botanical dictionaries as well) involves not only quantitative expansion but also qualitative advancements. The development of botanical vocabulary is delineated into three distinct stages, elucidating the characteristics of chronological formation and structural nuances in compendiums. Examining various botanical dictionaries exemplifies the diverse and multidimensional nature of these scholarly reference publications and their integral role in the broader landscape of encyclopedic knowledge.

The author explores the historical development of Ukrainian linguistic terminology within the framework of national terminography, lexicography, encyclopediography. The article reviews and analyses the academic references encomprassing 1) nationally specific and borrowed terms as well as concepts in traditional and emerging linguistics branches (e.g., the Dictionary of Linguistic Terms by Ye. Krotevych and N. Rodzevytch; Dictionary of Linguistic Terms by D. Hanych and I. Oliinyk; Dictionary of Modern Linguistics: Concepts and Terms; Modern Linguistic Dictionary by A. Zahnitko; Ukrainian. Concise Dictionary of Linguistic Terms by S. Yermolenko, S. Bybyk, and O. Todor; Modern Linguistics: Terminological Encyclopedia by O. Selivanova; The Ukrainian Language. Encyclopaedia; etc.), and 2) personalities of Ukrainian linguists (e.g., Ukrainian Grammar in Names by A. Zahnitko, M. Balko; Nizhyn Linguistics by N. Boiko, S. Zinchenko, A. Kaidash; etc.). The author systemizes and classifies encyclopedic works based on different criteria in the classical way (according to nature of information: domain, subject-specific, biographical, personal works; according to target audience: professional linguistics, student philologists, applicants, pupils; according regional focus of linguistic conceptions: the Nizhyn region, the Poltava region; according to article structure: alphabetical, alphabetical-and-clustered), as well as in the new way (syncretism of linguistic and encyclopedic genres: subject-specific linguistic-and-encyclopedic-and-biographic works, domain regional-and-biographic ones, subject-specific regional-and-biographic ones). The universal and specific principles of forming the definitional part of both linguistic-encyclopedic and encyclopedic articles include interpretation by an author, macro- and mini-discursive cross-references, hyperlinks, scholarly inter-texts, novelty, debatable issues personal and bibliographic remarks, and global linguistic experience.

This academic paper delves into the concept of encyclopedia articles (entries), their defining characteristics, and, based on this, offers recommendations for creators focusing primarily on contributors (rather than editors of encyclopedias). These recommendations specifically elucidate the principles of composition, as well as the linguistic and stylistic aspects of a typical encyclopedia article. In this paper, the author underscores the importance of maintaining academic integrity in encyclopedic writing and illustrating. The study is presented in a manner that enables potential contributors of encyclopedic content to grasp not only what information to include and how to structure it but also to recognize what pitfalls to avoid, thereby mitigating common errors in article writing.

How to write an article on Wikipedia is a question that is relevant for many people who contribute to this reference web portal. The creators of Wikipedia have provided various sources from which you can find answers to the main questions. The authors of this study aimed to identify and analyze the main recommendations offered to users who write or edit Wikipedia articles. The results of the study suggest that the basic rules for writing and editing articles include the following: using information from published materials and avoiding personal ideas, opinions, considerations, reflections, dubious or unproven facts; using published materials from reliable independent sources that can be verified; presenting facts, interpretations, and theories without editorial sympathies or bias in order to achieve neutrality (a neutral point of view); and providing complete information covering all aspects that must be described proportionally according to their importance. The authors conclude that these rules are logical and reasonable and are best suited for amateurs who, without adequate knowledge and experience, aim to write acceptable reference content.

The study is dedicated to the issue of information reliability in encyclopedias. The author, who recently published a monograph on the names of the Zaporozhian Sich’s kurins [military units of Army of Zaporozhia] (this article serves as a reflection on it), illustrates how information from scientific sources, already disproven and considered unfounded, incorrect, and distorting numerous historical facts of Ukraine, often finds its way into the pages of encyclopedias, textbooks, and other literature intended for a broad readership. Using the analysis of specific historical facts related to the Zaporozhian Sich, particularly the names of its settlements, author demonstrates the kind of information that should replace mythical content in reference and educational literature, disseminating more accurate knowledge in society.

The author’s twenty-year experience in illustrating the multi-volume historical publishing project “Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine”, which is coordinated by the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the “Naukova Dumka” publishing house, is highlighted. The initial stage of the work at the threshold of the millennium and its features are described in detail. The author’s focus is on the process of identifying various types of illustrative (iconographic) materials in archives, museums and libraries and related difficulties; creation of a database of illustrations; cooperation of the illustrator with the publishing house. Methodological problems that arose during the illustration (in particular, related to the publication of visual sources and verification of visual sources) are analyzed. The author emphasizes that the work of an illustrator of a historical encyclopedia, although it looks easy, is actually difficult, responsible and requires a number of professional, technical, and communication skills.

This communication presents a brief overview of the first five volumes of the Shevchenko Scientific Society Encyclopedia (2012–2022). The author, a professor in Medicine, naturally focuses on highlighting the medical themes within the encyclopedia in a retrospective dimension, emphasizing the significant importance of each published volume for the history of Ukrainian science