question

abstract

answer

A brief summary of an article, book, chapter, or other publication. Databases and indexes often have abstracts that sum up the article so that you can decide if you want to print or download it.

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almanac

answer

A publication, usually an annual, containing useful facts and statistical information.

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alphabetical

answer

Arranged in order of the alphabet beginning with A and ending with Z.

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article

answer

A written essay or report on a subject. Articles appear in magazines, journals, newsletters, newspapers, and encyclopedias.

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atlas

answer

Usually, a volume of maps; also used for a volume of photographic plates illustrating any subject, such as anatomy.

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author

answer

The writer of a book or article. may be one person, several people, or a "corporate body" such as a government agency, professional association, or company.

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author search

answer

In an electronic catalog or index, to search for an article or book by a particular author. "Author" may include persons responsible for the work, such as composers, artists, directors, etc., and organizations may also be authors ("corporate author" in library system).

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bias

answer

The predisposition toward or preference for a particular point of view in a source, usually presented in an unfair or imbalanced manner.

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bibliographic record

answer

A record that describes an item in the collection and includes the call number, author, title, subject, publication information, etc.

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bibliography

answer

A list of books, articles, or other published writings on a particular subject. may be separate publications that recommend readings on a given topic, or they may be found as a list of references at the end of books, chapters, articles, etc.

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biography

answer

An account of a person's life.

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Boolean operator

answer

The conjunctions AND, OR, and NOT in logical expressions; named for mathematician George Boole (1815-1864). These terms are used to connect concepts and construct search statements in databases and on the Web.

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bound periodicals

answer

Several issues of a magazine or journal gathered together into a single book with a hard cover.

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browse

answer

To look in a leisurely way through a library collection, book, journal, or other publication. It's also possible to browse online.

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browser

answer

Software programs that enable you to view World Wide Web documents. They "translate" HTML-encoded files into the text, images, sounds, and other features you see.

question

call number

answer

A unique identifying number given to each item owned by a library. The call number serves to group books together according to subject in an organizational scheme.

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CD-ROM

answer

Acronym for compact disc read-only memory; computer files on compact discs.

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citation

answer

Information such as author, title, number of pages, and dates, which is retrieved after performing a search in a database. Often will include an abstract.

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controlled vocabulary

answer

Descriptive words added to the items in a database that make it easier for researchers to find works on a particular subject.

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cumulative index

answer

An index in which several previously published indexes are combined into one book.

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current journal

answer

Recent, unbound issues of a journal, periodical, or magazine.

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current periodicals

answer

A collection of the most recent issues of magazines, journals, or newspapers that a library receives.

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database

answer

A collection of information organized for rapid retrieval.

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dictionary

answer

A reference source that provides meanings, pronunciations, and spellings of words.

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domain name

answer

The name that identifies a particular computer on the Internet. has several parts, separated by periods and going from specific to general as one reads left to right.

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edition

answer

All copies of a title issued by the same publisher on the same date.

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electronic journal

answer

A publication, often scholarly, that's made accessible in a computerized format and distributed over the Internet or through a commercial periodical database.

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encyclopedia

answer

A reference source containing information on a variety of topics. This information may be supplied in short paragraphs or in lengthy articles that include citations to other works on the same topic.

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entry

answer

A simple listing of a publication in a catalog or index. Works often have three types of entries: author, title, and subject.

question

field

answer

Segments of information that make up each record in a database. For example, an author's name, the book title, and the book's publication date are all fields.

question

fine

answer

The amount of money owed if a book isn't returned to the library by the due date.

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frequency

answer

The interval at which a serial is published

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full text

answer

A resource that provides access to the complete text of an item.

question

government documents

answer

Publications issued by federal, state, municipal, or foreign governments and by international government organizations. These items are often shelved separately and are arranged by an identification number assigned by the issuing agency.

question

hit

answer

An item identified or retrieved in a catalog or index search; many indexes will show the number of hits for a search on the screen before actually displaying the citations or documents retrieved, to allow the user to revise the search. A false hit is an item retrieved by the search statement that's not actually relevant or useful to the user.

question

holdings

answer

Items owned by the library (books, individual periodicals, volumes, etc.). "Periodical holdings" or "serial holdings" refer to the individual issues or volumes of a periodical owned by the library.

question

HTML

answer

Stands for Hypertext Markup Language; the coding syntax used to write World Wide Web documents, which are read by browsers.

question

HTTP

answer

the World Wide Web protocol that performs the request and retrieve functions of a server. Commonly seen as the first part of a Web site address.

question

hyperlink

answer

A graphic or text string which, when clicked, opens a new Web page or jumps to a new location in the current page.

question

hypertext

answer

The basic concept behind the World Wide Web, whereby one resource can be linked to other relevant information elsewhere on the Web. The user can view information nonsequentially; the idea is that the information is available in much the way that humans think—by association rather than linear sequence.

question

index

answer

A list of citations to articles or books, arranged by subject, author, or title. may be in print format, electronic format, or both. may also refer to a section in the back of a book that lists the subjects and topics covered within that book.

question

information

answer

Something learned; facts that are gathered or a measure of the content of a message. It can be argued whether it's a product, commodity, resource, or process. It can be a sensible statement, opinion, fact, concept, or idea, or an association of statements, opinions, or ideas. It's closely associated with knowledge in that once information has been assimilated, correlated, and understood, it becomes knowledge.

question

Internet

answer

A worldwide electronic network providing access to millions of resources, some of which are free.

question

IP (Internet Protocol) address

answer

A unique number that identifies a specific Internet server. It's formatted as a series of numbers from 0-255 separated by periods, such as 123.45.67.89.

question

ISBN

answer

a numerical code given to a book that uniquely identifies it.

question

ISSN

answer

Stands for International Standard Serial Number; a numerical code given to a serial (periodical) that uniquely identifies it.

question

item record

answer

Represents a physical piece in the library; it consists of fixed and variable fields that are used to describe the item and to record circulation information.

question

journal

answer

A publication that's issued at regular intervals and that contains written articles. Journals are usually written for more specialized or scholarly audiences than magazines.

question

keyword

answer

A significant word in the title, abstract, or text of a work.

question

keyword search

answer

To search an electronic catalog or index by having the program search for terms provided by the user.

question

Library of Congress Classification

answer

A classification scheme devised for the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., now used by most research-level libraries in the United States. It's based on letters of the alphabet (allowing for a larger number of fundamental divisions of knowledge than the Dewey system) with subdivisions using letters, numbers, and decimal points.

question

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

answer

The multivolume set, is an alphabetic guide and list of the official subject headings used for searching in the library catalogs. These sets can be found in most libraries in the reference area or at locations near the library catalog.

question

loan

answer

Lending a book. "On loan" means the book isn't in the library because it has been borrowed.

question

loan period

answer

The length of time that a book is permitted to be out of the library.

question

location

answer

Where an item is kept in the library. Location codes are used in the online catalogs to show which library or part of a library has the item.

question

magazine

answer

A periodical, generally with a more "popular" style and presentation than a research journal. Usually, for a general audience, and edited by an employee rather than an independent board of scholars.

question

meta-search engine

answer

A search engine that sends a request for information to several other search engines and compiles the results in one list.

question

microfiche

answer

A 4-by-6-inch sheet of film used to archive periodicals in reduced form.

question

microfilm

answer

A reel of film used to archive periodicals in reduced form.

question

microforms

answer

Photographic or film copies of books or journals. require you to use special reader machines. store information in a reduced form.

question

Netscape Navigator

answer

A World Wide Web browser developed by Netscape Communications.

question

newsgroup

answer

The name for an electronic discussion group on USENET.

question

noncirculating

answer

Library materials that may not be checked out of the library. items include archival material, rare books, reference material, current periodicals, and other items that must be used within the library at all times.

question

online

answer

Any capability available or work done directly on a computer.

question

online catalog

answer

A computer database that contains records for the publications owned by a library. The ____ provides author, title, place, date of publication, and the call number of these publications.

question

online help

answer

Information and help available via the Web. Ask a Librarian is one online help system available to Penn Foster students.

question

online search

answer

A search of a computer database for citations to books or journal articles.

question

overdue

answer

Material that's not returned to the library by its due date is considered ____.

question

peer review

answer

The process of obtaining impartial opinions from the research and academic community in order to ascertain whether papers submitted for publication in journals or at conferences are of a suitable standard. The opinions are sought by publishers and conference organizers, and are requested from those whose expertise and stature are similar to the author's.

question

periodical

answer

A publication that's issued on a regular basis. Journal, magazine, serial, and periodical are terms often used interchangeably.

question

periodical indexes

answer

An index to articles in magazines, journals, newspapers, and newsletters. Many are available in electronic databases.

question

plagiarism

answer

Using a source of information that's not common knowledge without crediting the source; failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas; failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks; and failing to cite summaries and paraphrases that you put in your own words.

question

primary source

answer

An original source of information from someone who had firsthand experience with the information. Diaries, speeches, letters, and eyewitness accounts are a few types.

question

professional journal

answer

A journal that's written for a particular professional audience such as lawyers, teachers, doctors, or accountants.

question

protocol

answer

The set of rules that computers use to communicate with each other. ensures that different network products or programs can work together.

question

record

answer

A group of related fields treated as a single unit for ease of storage and retrieval. Bibliographic records typically include fields for title, author, and publication information.

question

refereed journal

answer

A journal in which articles have been evaluated by an independent expert(s) in the field of research before acceptance for publication.

question

reference book

answer

A book designed to be consulted for specific information rather than to be read from cover to cover. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and indexes to periodicals areall examples.

question

reference collection

answer

Refers to a location in the library and also to the services and books available at that location.

question

reference/information desk

answer

Place in a library where a librarian is available to answer questions.

question

reference librarian

answer

A librarian who helps people locate information and materials in the reference section of the library.

question

search engines

answer

Programs that locate information, typically associated with a sizable database.

question

search statement

answer

An individual search consisting of one search term or phrase, or several terms linked with Boolean operators.

question

search strategy

answer

The plan adopted for answering a particular inquiry, or more specifically, the search statements used to answer an inquiry.

question

search term

answer

A word or phrase input by the user to find those records on the database containing that term or phrase.

question

searching

answer

The act and process of locating information in various sources; for example, looking for a book in a library catalog, looking for articles in databases, or looking for information on the World Wide Web.

question

stacks

answer

The shelves on which books or bound journals are located, also considered the circulating collection within a library.

question

subject headings

answer

Words used in library catalogs or databases to describe the contents of a book, periodical, or individual article.

question

subject search

answer

A search for information by topic (as opposed to author or title).

question

truncation

answer

Using a symbol at the end or in the middle of a word when searching a database to catch all variant forms or spellings of that word. For example, if you wanted to do research on computers and wanted to make sure you found any records with the word "computer," "computing," or "computerized," you would put a truncation symbol at the point in the word where different endings can occur: comput?.

question

uniform resource locator (URL)

answer

The distinct address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web. The first part of the address indicates what protocol to use, and the second part specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource is located.

question

Web

answer

Short for World Wide Web.

question

Web page

answer

A single HTML document; if actually printed out, may be one page long or many pages long.

question

Web search

answer

A search conducted to identify and retrieve information housed on the World Wide Web, accomplished using one of the hierarchical subject guides or search engines available through a Web browser. The search syntax used, the set of data being searched, and the retrieval parameters are different for each search engine.

question

Web site

answer

A site location on the World Wide Web, or a collection of interlinked documents on a Web server. Each Web site contains a home page, and may also contain additional documents and files.

question

wildcard

answer

A symbol used to substitute any letter or combination of letters in a search word or phrase. The symbol used most often is an asterisk (*), but other symbols include a question mark, an exclamation mark, or a percent sign.

question

World Wide Web (WWW)

answer

The part of the Internet that contains text, graphics, video, or audio format, and is accessed using a browser.

question

AND

answer

retrieves only those records in the database that have both the first term and the second one. It's a way of narrowing your search.

question

OR

answer

retrieves all of the records that contain either the first term or the second or both. It's a way of broadening your search and is typically used with synonyms.

question

NOT

answer

excludes those records containing the word that follows the NOT. It's another way of narrowing your search. Some systems use AND NOT or ANDNOT (notice the lack of a space between AND and NOT) in place of NOT.

question

nesting

answer

groups certain parts of the search statement together and tells the computer exactly what to search for.

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