Propædia
ONE OF THREE PARTS OF THE 15TH EDITION OF ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA
Propaedia; Propedia; Outline of Knowledge
The one-volume Propædia is the first of three parts of the 15th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica, intended as a compendium and topical organization of the 12-volume Micropædia and the 17-volume Macropædia, which are organized alphabetically. Introduced in 1974 with the 15th edition, the Propædia and Micropædia were intended to replace the Index of the 14th edition; however, after widespread criticism, the Britannica restored the Index as a two-volume set in 1985.