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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Abstract: A brief summary of a work which tells enough to allow a reader to decide whether of not it has the information sought; in many cases, it also contains keywords and/or terms used to index the work so that it can be retrieved.
Annotation: A note which accompanies an entry in a bibliography, which tells what the item is about. It differs from an abstract in that it need not necessarily be a summary of the contents. It can be objective, evaluative, or promotional, depending on the purpose of the bibliography
B
Bibliography: list of materials or documents dealing with a particular subject area, individual; a list of sources used in the preparation of academic work.
Boolean searching: A method of combining two or more search terms to increase or restrict the amount found.
Browser: Software used to access Web documents (e.g. Netscape, Internet Explorer)
C
Call number : Set of symbols which identifies an item in a library collection and indicates its location
Catalog: database of materials available in a particular collection, arranged in a systematic order. Scholar is the library catalog of Cleveland State University Scholar.
Citation: reference to a document or part of a document from which a passage is quoted, or to a source regarded as an authority for a statement or proposition.
Cookie: piece of information sent by a web server to a web browser that the browser software is expected to save and send back to the server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the server
D
Database: A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval. See also electronic database
Discussion lists : email groups devoted to communication about a particular topic or interest
Domain: internet address of the organisation hosting a webpage or email server
Downloading: transfer of information from one computer to another, or to a floppy disk.
E
Electronic database : A general term for
many methods of storing information electronically. In the library this
includes CD-ROMs and the library catalogue.
Email: (electronic mail) transmission of letters and other documents from one computer to another through a computer network.
Evaluation: the process of deciding whether an information source is appropriate to your needs
F
Fields : portion of a catalog or database record representing a specific item of information, such as the author, title etc.
G
H
Holdings: items in the stock of a library.
Home page: several meanings. Originally the web page that your browser is set to when it starts up. The more common meaning refers to the main web page for a business, organization, person or simply the main page out of a collection of web pages
Host: main computer of a local or remote network.
HTML: HyperText Markup Language - the computer language that forms the basis of web pages.
I
Interlibrary Loan - the process of having an item brought in from another library or university
Index: systematic guide to the contents of a file, document, or group of documents
Information literacy: The ability to define problems in terms of information needs, to locate, evaluate, and apply information literacy
Internet : An array of many computer networks linked via common communications protocols, which includes major educational, research, and governmental institutions in some seventy countries
ISBN: International Standard Book Number: An internationally agreed on standard number that identifies a book uniquely.
ISP: Internet Service Provider - a company that facilitates access to the web
ISSN: International Standard Serial Number: An internationally agreed on standard number that identifies a serial publication uniquely
J
Journal : another name for a serial
K
L
M
Metasearch engine : a program that allows you to search across many search engines at once
Microfiche: A sheet of film bearing a number of microimages in linear array.
Microfilm: A length of film bearing a number of microimages in linear array.
Microform: generic term for all forms of micro records, including microfilm and microfiche.
Monograph: Literally means a single written item, and often used to mean a book.
N
Network: group of physically dispersed computers linked to each other to share information resources.
O
Online catalog:
Online database : stored on servers elsewhere, and the library pays for permission to connect to and search these databases. Some can be searched over the Internet, others require a dedicated PC here in the Library.
P
Periodical: primary material published at regular or irregular intervals. A type of serial.
Plagiarism : taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another. This is the case even when you cite the source in the body of your text or in your references, or both.
Primary source: the raw, often factual data that underpins research
Q
R
Ready reference: provision of quick answers to factual questions, using standard sources such as dictionaries, almanacs and directories
Reference: A direction from one heading or entry to another
Reference service: Providing answers to users' questions, in person or by telephone
Reference source: any publication from which authoritative information may be obtained. Not limited to reference works
S
Search engine: programs that enable you to search using keywords which describe the subject you are looking for
Search strategy : plan of a search for information.
Secondary source: interpretation and commentary of primary source by others
Serial: publication issued in successive parts that is intended to be continued indefinitely, usually multiauthored and sequentially numbered. Also known as a journal.
Server: Can refer to the machine that stores files of many users and programs that can be shared, or to the program that allows communication with a browser.
Source: see reference source
Subject heading: word or group of words expressing a subject under which all items on that subject are filed.
T
Thesaurus: Guide to use of terms, showing relationships between them, for the purpose of providing standardized, controlled vocabulary for information storage and retrieval
Truncation : shortening or cutting off part of a search term so that it can be matched against other terms with the same stem or root.
U
URL : Uniform Resource Locator -- Web address
V
W
Web: see World Wide Web
Web page: an individual page of information loaded onto the WWW
Web site: A file of related web pages of text and graphics linked through hypertext
World Wide Web (WWW) : a network of many thousands of servers linked together by a common protocol.
X
Y
Z
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