They are also useful for finding out the titles of important books and choosing a topic for further research. This is a very useful set for historical subjects. Use the 2 volume index to locate your subject. Extensive annotated bibliographies are given in major articles. These are very comprehensive sets.
Information is arranged chronologically.
There is an index but the table of contents for each volume is also a good way to locate topics. Set covers Europe from the French Revolution to 1900. A one volume overview. One volume brief description of important people and events in world history. Short explanations of many medieval topics.