Abstract - A brief description of a work's content, usually without added interpretation or criticism. Generally found at the beginning of an article in a journal, or with a citation in a bibliographic database.
Accuracy - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Accuracy measures the degree to which information sources are free from mistakes and errors. An encyclopedia which said that the Oakland Raiders won the Super Bowl in 2000 would be giving inaccurate information.
Almanac - A reference work giving facts, data, tables, charts, lists, etc. on a wide range of topics. Almanacs generally publish new editions every year. Examples include the Guinness Book of Records and the World Almanac.
Annotation - An evaluative summary of a work. Unlike an abstract, an annotation attempts to tell how good an information source is.
Annual - A serial issued once a year. Many almanacs are annuals. Examples include the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry and the Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Article - A shorter prose work which makes up part of a larger work like a journal volume or an encyclopedia. An article has its own title or heading; often it has its own author too.
Article database - A continuously updated computer file of citations, abstracts, and sometimes full-text articles, usually reprinted from another source. Most article databases are leased annually from a database provider (vendor). Access in usually limited by licensing agreement to registered library users.
Atlas - A collection of maps. Atlases come in 4 types: general/world, historical, subject-specific, or road. Examples include the Atlas of Acoustic Images and the Atlas of Airborne Fungal Spores in Europe.
Authority - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Authority refers to the reliability of an information source, its standing as a source on its topic(s). Stephen Hawking is more of an authority of black holes than your accountant Bob.
Autobiography - An account of a person's life written by that person. Examples include the Autobiography of Malcolm X and the Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Barcode Number - A multi-digit number appearing beneath the barcode found near the beginning or end of a book. Barcode numbers for library books are used to charge, discharge, and renew books.
Bias - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Bias describes the ideological leanings, inclinations, or partiality of an information source.
Bibliography - The list of works cited by an author at the end of an article, paper, book, or other research-based writing. You are expected to produce bibliographies of your sources when writing college papers. There are also specialized subject bibliographies, published separately as books. Examples include Bibliography on Marine Biology and the Bibliography and Index of Geology.
Biographical sources - Provide information on the lives and accomplishments of famous people. Examples include the Biographical Dictionary of Scientists and African-American Business Leaders. A biographical dictionary differs from a biography: a biographical dictionary gives some information about the lives of lots of people, while a biography gives lots of information about the life of one person.
Biography - An account of a person's life written by another. Examples include the Biography of Alice B. Toklas and the Biography of Lü Kuang.
Boolean connector - A word used to join terms when searching electronic information sources. AND, OR, and NOT are Boolean connectors.
Call number - The letters and/or numbers assigned to a book to give it a unique location in a library. Call numbers are generally derived from the subject of a book. NMSU uses Library of Congress call numbers. An example is:
Catalog - A special type of database containing only records for information sources owned by a particular library.
CD-ROM = Compact Disc Read Only Memory - A digitally mastered disc that holds information (often a database).
Charge - To check out an item to someone.
Chronology - An information resource presenting information organized by date. Examples include: Chronology of Geologic Thinking from Antiquity to 1899 and Chronology of 20th Century American History.
Circulating - This means that an item may be checked out. Not all Library items circulate: Reference books, for example, must be used in the Library.
Circulation Desk - A service desk where books and other materials are loaned or charged out to library users. Library materials which do not circulate (reference books and some periodicals, for example) can be used within the library.
Citation - The information given in an index or catalog about a particular information source. The citation may include the article title, periodical title, book title, place of publication, publisher, volume, pages, and date. Refer to a style manual to learn how to format citations for your own bibliographies. Examples are:
Cite - To make reference to a work. Not to be confused with site, as in a Web site.
Collection - The total holdings of a library. See holdings.
Copyright - The legal provision of exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute a work. Copyright is guaranteed by federal law and grants the author, composer, or artist creating a work rights to its reproduction; preparation of derivative works; distribution to the public by sale, rental, lease, or lending; public performance; and public display.
Coverage - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Coverage refers to the scope or degree of completeness of an information source.
Credibility - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Credibility describes the reliability and believability of an information source.
Cross reference - A term used in catalogs, thesauruses and indexes to lead you from one form of entry to another. An example is:
Currency - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Currency describes how up-to-date an information source is.
Database - A collection of records describing information resources. Usually computerized.
Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) - A system for organizing library materials by giving them numbers which represent their content. DDC is commonly used in public libraries and in elementary and high school libraries.
Dictionary - A book that gives definitions of words. Dictionaries may be general (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary), or specialized by subject (Dictionary of Economics).
Directory - A list of persons or organizations with addresses, affiliations, and other similar data. Directories tell you how to get in touch with someone. The telephone book is a directory of people and businesses in an area.
Discharge - To check back into the library an item that had been checked out to a patron.
Discipline - A branch of knowledge or learning. Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences are the three disciplines of American higher education.
Electronic - In libraries, this usually describes anything that can be accessed with a computer. CD-ROM and online databases are both electronic.
Encyclopedia - A compendium of information. Like dictionaries, these can be general (Encyclopedia Britannica) or specialized by subject (Encyclopedia of World Cultures).
Endnotes - References to information sources that offer (1) the original version of words quoted in the text, (2) facts or other information mentioned in the text, or (3) further discussion of information mentioned in the text. Like footnotes in their purpose, but endnotes appear at the end of an article, chapter, or book. Endnotes are usually numbered in the sequence (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) they occur in the text.
Fact - A thing that has actually happened or is really true. Facts are capable of being "proven," although people still do not always agree on what the facts are.
Fair use - Conditions allowing copying of materials without violation of copyright. Fair use allows limited copying for the sake of research and teaching.
Footnotes - References to information sources that offer (1) the original version of words quoted in the text, (2) facts or other information mentioned in the text, or (3) further discussion of information mentioned in the text. Unlike endnotes, which appear at the end of an entire document, footnotes appear at the bottom of pages within the document.
Format - The physical form of an information resource. A map is a type of format, as is a book. See also medium.
Government document - Any publication originating in, issued with the imprint of, at the expense of, or by the authority of any government. Cities, counties, states, counties, and international organizations produce government documents. Because they are produced at taxpayers' expense, issuing agencies and libraries have special obligations for making government documents accessible.
Handbook - A reference source incorporating miscellaneous facts relevant to a particular discipline or subject, much of it presented in condensed forms, like equations, formulas, tables, graphs, or charts. An example is the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.
Hits - The number of matches made by a computer in a search.
Hold - A library user may place a hold on a book charged out to another person; this ensures that the person placing the hold will be next in line to receive the book when the book is returned.
Holdings - The materials owned by a library. See collection.
Icon - A small symbol on a computer screen that represents a computer operation or data file.
Index - 1. A list of names or topics usually found at the end of a publication directing you to the pages where the names or topics are discussed. 2. A printed or electronic publication listing references to periodical articles or books by subject and/or author.
Interdisciplinary - Involving or joining two or more of the disciplines or branches of learning.
Interlibrary Loan Services - Interlibrary lending and borrowing services provide access to materials that cannot be found in the NMSU library.
Internet - The international network of computer networks which provides three basic services: 1. electronic mail, or e-mail, an online message service between computer users; 2. remote logon, which is the ability to connect to and use services on computer at other sites; 3. file transfer protocol or FTP, which allows users to move files from one computer to another. See also Web/World Wide Web.
Issue (or Number) - A single, uniquely numbered or dated part of a periodical or newspaper.
Journal - A scholarly periodical that publishes issues; the issues make up a volume. EXAMPLES: Journal of Applied Psychology or American Anthropologist. Compare with magazine.
Keyword - A significant or memorable word or term in the title, abstract or text of an item that indicates its subject and can be used for searching.
LAN = Local Area Network - This network connects computers, or workstations, often allowing users to access the same databases simultaneously.
Library of Congress Classification System (LC) - The system of letters and numbers used by most academic libraries to assign a call number to materials.
Limiting - Restricting the matches made during a computer search by adding other criteria to the search terms. If you were searching for materials on physics, you could limit yourself to only books published after 1980. This would be limiting by format and by date.
Magazine - A general-interest periodical that has a broad, wide audience. Examples include Time and Glamour. Compare with journal.
Manual - A reference source giving instructions, rules, and procedures for performing certain tasks. A type of how-to book. Examples include the Manual of American Grape Growing and the Manual of Aquatic Sediment Sampling.
Map - A representation, usually to scale and on a flat medium, of part or all of the surface features of the earth or of another celestial body.
Medium - The physical material or substance on which data can be stored or recorded. Print and electronic are two common media of information. See format.
Menu - On computers, menu refers to a list of options available to you.
Microform - Refers to microfiche (rectangular) and microfilm (roll) formats whereby print text is transferred onto film for preservation. Usually, older issues of periodicals are transferred to microform.
Multimedia - The combination or integration of more than one media into an information source or presentation.
Number (or Issue) - A single, uniquely numbered or dated part of a periodical or newspaper.
Objective - A term used to describe information which is without bias or prejudice and attempts to present all sides of an issue.
Online - Refers to accessing a remote computer via a terminal. InfoTrac is one example of an online database.
Online catalog - The database that lists the books available in a given library or library district. This is the electronic equivalent of the card catalog.
OPAC = Online Public Access Catalog - Often called simply online catalog.
Opinion - A belief based not on positive knowledge but on what seems valid, true, or probable to one's own mind. Not a fact. "Chocolate chip cookies are the greatest" is an opinion, not a fact.
Paraphrase - To express in other words the meaning of something spoken or written. Although not direct quotations, paraphrases must cite their sources.
Parenthetical References - Citations places within the body of a document. They are brief references, enclosed within parentheses - for example (Curtis 1999, 178), to information sources cited more fully in an accompanying Works Cited or Reference List at the end of the document.
Periodical - A generic term for anything published at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.), including magazines, journals, and newspapers.
Periodicals list - The listing of periodicals to which a library subscribes.
PIN number = Personal Identification Number - A number used with a computerized information system to ensure that individuals have secure access to information about themselves and/or information restricted to their user community.
Plagiarism - The act of taking another's intellectual property (spoken words, written words, artistic expressions) and passing them off as one's own. Plagiarism may be unintentional, but you will be held accountable for plagiarism whether or not you meant to plagiarize.
Primary source - Fundamental, authoritative documents relating to a subject and used in the preparation of later works. See also secondary source.
Print - Ink on paper; not electronic. Art Index in book form is a print index.
Proximity - A measure of the nearness of things. Proximity can be used in electronic searching to find words/information near each other. For example, if you are looking for information on "tax fraud," you could use proximity searching to specify that "tax" occur within one word of "fraud."
Publisher - The person or organization responsible for the manufacture and distribution of information sources to the public.
Quality - A criterion used in evaluating information. Quality describes how good an information source is in comparison to other, similar sources.
Quotation - (1) The words or sentences from another information source used within a text. (2) The act or practice of using words or sentences from another information source within a text. You must quote another's words whenever you use them within your text. Failure to do so is plagiarism, violates another's copyright, and is punishable.
Reference - The process of answering the questions of library patrons about research or finding information. Also the name for the section of the library where this takes place. Branson and Zuhl Libraries both have reference desks.
Reference book - A book containing facts, statistics, biographical information, or other such information so as to make it a valuable tool for answering reference questions. These books may not be taken out of the library and are shelved separately from the rest of the collection.
Reference librarian - A faculty member who has studied the field of library science at the graduate level. A librarian is skilled in using print and electronic resources and is the person to ask for research assistance.
Reference list - Another name for Works Cited.
Relevance - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Relevance describes how closely the contents of an information source match the topics under discussion.
Remote access - Communication by one or more users, devices, or stations with a distant computer system.
Renewal - An extension of the loan period for charged library materials. Renewals may be handled in person at the circulation desk, by email, via a Web form, or by viewing your library record on the Web.
Research - Diligent and thorough inquiry and investigation into a topic. This includes using all appropriate print and electronic sources, asking the reference librarian for help, and making use of bibliographies given by other authors.
Reserve - Where materials are placed to be used by all students in a class. Any type of material that a professor deems appropriate may be put on reserve. Reserve materials are kept in both Branson and Zuhl Libraries.
Scope - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Scope describes the range or extent to which an information source covers its chosen topic.
Search engine - A computerized device or program used in retrieving information on the Web. Search engines take your search terms and look for occurrences of them in Web pages that have been indexed by the engine.
Secondary source - Any material other than primary sources.
Serial - Another library term for periodicals.
Signed article - Any article whose author's name or initials are given with/in the information source.
Site - A location on the Internet, such as a Web site. Do not confuse with cite.
Source - A source is a single entity from which information is retrieved. People, books, journal articles, indexes, and web pages can all be sources.
Special collections - Special collections are collections of library materials separated from the general collection because they are of a certain form, on a certain subject or geographical area, of a certain period, or rare, valuable or fragile.
Stacks - Series of bookcases or sections of shelving used for holding a library's collection.
Statistical source - Any information resource providing access to numerical data on a topic.
Style manual - A book that tells the reader how to format a paper, with regard to footnotes, bibliographies, pagination, etc. Commonly used style manuals are:
Subject directory - A directory limiting its coverage to persons or organizations within a certain field.
Subject-specific - An information resource covering only the information of a particular field (like Chemistry), not all of human knowledge. E.g., the Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology is subject-specific, while Encyclopedia Britannica is not.
Subject heading - A subject heading is a search term used to describe the subject content of an information resource. Subject headings bring together all resources on a topic, whatever words may be used in expressing that topic. For example, the subject heading "cats," would bring together all items about "cats," "felines," "kitties," etc.
Subjective - Affected by or reflective of the ideas or feelings of a person or group. Giving only partial coverage of an issue. Not objective.
SuDoc number = Superintendent of Documents number - A type of call number assigned to every document published by the U.S. Government Printing Office. SuDoc numbers begin with a letter designating the governmental agency authoring/issuing the document. All documents from the Agriculture Department, for example, have SuDoc numbers beginning with "A."
Summary - A brief, recapitulative statement of a written work.
Thesaurus - A list of terms used. It shows relationships among terms, such as broader, narrower, and related terms. A thesaurus may be a separate book or a component of a computer database.
Thesis - (1) A paper or project produced in partial or complete fulfillment of the requirements for a Masters' degree program. (2) The idea or point which is at the core of and to be proved by a written work.
Timeliness - A criterion used in evaluating the quality of information. Timeliness describes the degree to which information sources present information in prompt and usable fashion.
Trade Journal - Also called a professional journal. A periodical containing articles primarily of interest to those in a specific industry or profession. Publishers Weekly is an example of a trade journal.
Truncation - In electronic searching, truncation is the cutting short of search term(s) in order to retrieve all items sharing a common root. For example, the truncation "librar*" would retrieve libraries, library, librarian, librarians, library science, etc.
University press - A nonprofit publishing house attached to a university, often specializing in publication of scholarly works.
Volume - The collective issues of a periodical that constitute the whole published within a definite period. Often a year's worth of a periodical's issues often make up a single volume.
Web (or World Wide Web) - The name given the hypertext part of the Internet, where one can move from item to item simply by clicking on the links between them.
Works Cited - A listing of sources cited in a research paper. Always used with parenthetical citations; may also be used with footnotes or endnotes. Appears at the end of a research paper. Sources cited are listed alphabetically by the author's last name (or by title, if there is no author). Also called a Reference List.
Yearbook - An annual compendium of facts and statistics from the previous year, often limited to a specific subject.
Sources consulted include: Gail Gradowski, Loanne Snavely, Paula Dempsey, Eds., Designs for Active Learning (1998); Carla List, Introduction to Information Research (1997); Heartsill Young, Ed., The ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science (1983); the ACRL/IS Multilingual Glossary; and the Information Management Glossary.
Send comments and questions to Kate Manuel at: kmanuel@lib.nmsu.edu
Page last updated on Friday, July 25, 2003