A
Abstract: A summary of an article or dissertation.
Academic Journal: Journal containing
articles with full documentation, identifying sources used and written by
scholars whose credentials are identified.
Accession Number: The unique identifier
assigned to each item.
Adobe Acrobat Reader: The computer
program that is needed to open and view PDF’s. Most full-text databases
provide articles in PDF format.
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B
Barcode: A small label of closely
spaced bars that can be read by a computer. Barcodes on books and on your
GUST ID are used to charge out books from the Library.
Bibliographic Record: The collection of
information about an item recorded in a standard format and held in a
database. In the past, these records were typed onto cards and filed in
the card catalog. Today, they are computer records stored in the online
catalog.
Bibliography: List of sources used to
prepare your research paper. Also, a list of works cited by an author at
the end of an article, paper, book, or other research-based writing. There
are also specialized subject bibliographies published separately.
Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT: Used
to link, combine or eliminate terms in database or Internet searching.
Browser: Software program that supports
point and click access to the Internet. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox,
Opera are currently the mostly widely used.
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C
Call Number: The unique address of a
book in the stacks. The main system of call numbers used at GUST library is
Library of Congress Classification.
Catalog: The collection of records
identifying and locating the items owned by a library is called its
catalog. In the past, this would have been a large collection of drawers
with cards called card catalog. Each card contained the information needed
to identify what the library owned and where it was located. Today, most
libraries have moved to an online catalog, where the bibliographic records
are entered into a database, which can be searched to find desired
information.
CD-ROM: Compact Disc- Read Only Memory,
like an audio CD, a CD-ROM stores information for later playback. Many
books are now published with CD-ROM’s that may have supplemental
information, practice exercise, or guidelines for the book.
Circulation and Reserve Desk: This is
the place where materials are checked out and returned. The reserves are
also found at this desk.
Citation: A brief reference to an
article, book, or other material; usually includes author, title, source,
place and date of publication.
Closed Stacks: A library shelving
system which restricts access to the books in the library to library
employees only.
Controlled Vocabulary: Words used as subject headings by a catalog
or an index. Often these words are listed in a thesaurus where you can see
terms for a topic before you start to use that catalog or index.
Course Reserves: Materials which a
professor has identified as being important to his/her course. They may
include supplemental information such as tests or quiz files, homework,
class notes, solution sets, or textbooks.
Cross-Reference: A term used in
catalogs, thesauruses and indexes to lead you from one form of entry to
another.
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D
Database: A collection of information
(data) which is arranged in individual records and is searchable.
Descriptors: Subject headings developed for a specific index.
Due Date: The date when borrowed library materials should be
returned or renewed.
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F
Fields: A subdivision of a record.
Fields include author, title, subject etc.
Fine: The amount of money which is owed
by the borrower if library material is not returned when the book is due.
Footnote: A bibliographic note placed
at the bottom of a page to let the reader know the source of the
information or quotation. A footnote is used to direct a reader elsewhere
for additional information.
Full-Text: Some electronic databases
provide the text of articles they index along with the citation and
abstract.
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G
Glossary: An alphabetic list of
technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge.
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H
Hold (on hold): A function in the
Online Catalog, which enables you to request an item, currently checked
out, be kept for you at the Circulation Desk rather than being reshelved
upon its return to the library. You will be notified when the item is
available.
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I
Index: Tools for finding citations,
abstracts, or complete text; arranged usually in alphabetical order of
some specified datum (author, subject, or keyword).
Information Literacy: The ability to
recognize a need for information, find, evaluate and use that information
in whatever format (print index, online database, Internet, etc) it
appears.
Interlibrary Loan: The service that
obtain materials from other libraries when items not available in the GUST
library.
Internet: A global electronic network
of thousands of communicating computers in smaller interconnected
networks.
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J
Journal: "Journal" usually refers to
peer-reviewed scholarly journals written by experts for experts. It is one
of the primary methods used by scholars, scientists and other experts to
exchange new information.
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K
Keyword: Descriptive word or phrase
found in a record in an electronic database that aids in retrieval of
documents. In full-text searching, every word in a document becomes a
keyword. A thesaurus is often constructed to list acceptable keywords.
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L
Library of Congress Classification System:
The system which divide knowledge into subject areas and corresponding
call numbers and letters for library materials.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LSCH):
A list of subject terms for items in libraries created by the Library of
Congress. Most libraries use the LSCH, which makes it easy to find
materials on the same subject in different libraries.
Login/ Logon: Connecting to a computer
network.
Logoff/Logout: Disconnecting from a
computer network.
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M
Media: Any format for information
storage that requires special listening or viewing equipment: i.e.
microfilm, microfiche, videotape, CD-ROMs.
Menu: Choices and commands that are
displayed on the computer screen and can be selected by the user. Most
programs have their menus on the top of the screen, while databases will
often have theirs on the left side or bottom of the display.
Microfiche: System of photographically
miniaturizing printed material on small rectangular “sheets” of
photographic film viewable on special readers.
Microfilm: Miniaturizing process
similar to microfiche, but reproduced on reels of photographic cellulose
film. As with fiche, requires special reader.
Monograph: A scholarly book, pamphlet,
or article on a specified and usually limited subject. Sometimes used in
the sense of a scholarly notification book as opposed to an article in a
periodical.
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N
Network: An arrangement of computers
and files that are electronically connected.
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O
Online: Refers to a computer system
that can be continually and/or remotely accessed. GUST online catalog and
web-based databases are examples of online resources.
Online Catalog: The publicly searchable
computer system that stores the bibliographic records for a library’s
materials.
Open Stacks: A library shelving system
which allows all users access to the books in the stacks. Users are free
to browse the collection and select the books they wish to use without
involving library personnel. With the exception of reserves and special
collections, the collection of the GUST library is an open stack system,
although assistance is available to users with special needs.
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P
Patron (Patron information): Library
users are often referred to as patrons. Patron information is the contents
of your library account: what you have checked out, any fines you owe,
materials on which you placed a HOLD or RECALL, and materials you have
requested through Horizon Information Portal (HIP). You can check this
information by logging in when you are in the library catalog.
PC (Personal Computer): Generally used
to refer to IBM-compatible rather than a Macintoshes, though both are
really PCs.
PDF (Portable Document Format): A
universal file format that preserve all of the fonts, formatting, colors,
pagination, and graphics of the source document.
Peer-reviewed Journal: Journal
containing scholarly articles which have been reviewed by scholars whose
expertise and stature are similar to the author.
Periodical: Publication issued at
regular (and relatively frequent) intervals with no specific ending date.
Examples: magazines, journals, newspapers and newsletters.
Primary Source: Original manuscript,
contemporary record, or document used by an author in writing a book or
other literary work. Includes letters, diaries, memoirs, contemporary
newspaper reporting, archival collections etc.
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R
Recall: A function in the Online
Catalog, which enables you to request an item, currently checked out, be
returned to the library. An automatic message is sent to the current
borrower, informing that someone else needs the book. You will be notified
when the item is available.
Record: A description of a resource
such as a book, journal article, website, etc. Records are subdivided into
specific fields such as author, title and subject.
Reference: Anything that points to some
other location for the information it represents.
Refereed Journal: A refereed journal is
one in which the process to determine if an article will be accepted for
publication is done by professional colleagues, or peers (also known as
peer-review process).
Reserve: Reserve section of the library
is where course-associated materials which classroom instructors require
or recommend. The collection includes books, articles, CDs, etc. Reserve
items circulate for shorter period of time to allow access to all who need
them.
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S
Scholarly (Academic) Journal: Journal
containing article with full documentation, identifying sources used and
written by scholars whose credentials are identified.
Search strategy: Organization of
keywords and use of Boolean operators.
Serial: Publication issued at regular
intervals or in installments. Includes periodicals as well as bulletins,
annual reports, and multi- volume work issued in parts.
Server: Computer that provides a
service to other computers in a network by sharing its resources, such as
programs and/or files with other computers.
Stacks: Ranges of shelves containing
library materials.
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T
Truncate (v.), truncation (n.): In
database searching, the act of entering and searching for a shortened
word, a word stem, or a string of letters, often indicated by adding a
symbol (e.g.?, *)
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U
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The
Internet “address” for an electronic document identifying location.
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V
Virtual library: Also know as the “electronic
library” or “Library without walls”, usually mean electronic information
resources available within the library or remotely accessible but which,
do not have physical presence.
Virtual Reality (VR): Electronic
environment created by computer software that simulates a three
dimensional physical setting.
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W
World Wide Web (or web, www, w3):
Portion of the Internet consisting of interconnected, linked documents(web
pages) accessible via web browsers .(e.g. Internet Explorer, Opera).
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