Facts On File: World Religions Online

World Religions Online (WRO) is a multimedia resource that provides essays, short entries, biographies, and definitions related to world religions. While information is included on a variety of religions, there is special emphasis (Topic Centers) on African Traditional Religion, Buddhism, Catholicism & Orthodox Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Native American Religions, Protestantism, and Shinto. WRO is essentially an online version of two Facts On File print series (Encyclopedia of World Religions and World Religions), and is enhanced by short videos, search functionality, Topic Centers, and several other features. The content is appropriate for a wide age range, and will prove useful for preliminary research for middle school, high school, and undergraduate college students. WRO is a mixed bag. It is easily navigable and the interface is beautiful. The Topic Centers are useful, and some of the features, such as saving results to folders and the search assist, are valuable additions. Despite these plusses, the negatives are often quite frustrating. Confusing topic terminology, duplicated material, lack of cross-referencing links, and unpredictable searching success drag down an otherwise worthwhile resource. However, the rich collections of images and videos really make WRO a resource to recommend.