Commons Home

Courses

Guides

About the Commons

Glossary The vocabulary and jargon of the library and information science world can be confusing. The following glossary is intended as an aid to ISU undergraduate students using the resources of the Parks Library. 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  abstract A short summary of the content of a book, article, report, dissertation, or other work of nonfiction, giving the main points in the same order as in the complete version.  In scholarly journals, the abstract is typically located at the beginning of an article, following the title and before the text.  anthology A collection of works, or extracts from various works, by various authors, selected by an editor or editorial panel, typically limited to a specific literary form or genre such as poetry, plays, or short stories.   authentication The process by which access to the Internet, Web-pages, or online resources requires users to identify themselves first by entering a user name and password.  Many ISU Web pages and online resources or forms require users to authenticate themselves as an ISU student, faculty, or staff member prior to access.  AccessPlus is an example. bandwidth Maximum capacity/speed at which data can be transmitted between computers in an electronic communications network.  For the Internet, the amount of information in digital format which a given connection can carry, measured in bits or bytes per second. Originally an electronics term meaning the range of frequencies within which a device can operate and still meet specified performance requirements.  See also broadband. bibliographic instruction Formal instruction for users or potential users of academic libraries or information services. bibliographic record Record of an item (book, magazine, etc.) which includes full details for that item: title, author, publisher, etc. bibliography In the context of academic research, a list of references to sources cited or used, usually included at the end of a journal article, research paper or book.  Also refers to a list of works by a specific author on a given subject. boolean searching A method of searching in which the query is expressed in subject words using the boolean commands or "operators" and, or, and not.   The or operator is used to expand search results by including related terms, for example: education or instruction. The and operator is used to narrow search results by making the search more specific, search results must include both terms, for example: violence and television.  Each time another term is added to the search using the and operator the search becomes more specific and search results are refined. The not operator is used to exclude records from search results, for example: livestock not sheep. bound periodicals/bound journals This refers to multiple issues of a periodical, especially magazines and journals, which have been bound together with a strong binding and cover to make a single volume.  Typically one calendar year's worth of issues are bound together.  This is done for a variety of reasons including organization, space, and preservation. bound periodicals/bound journals This refers to multiple issues of a periodical, especially magazines and journals, which have been bound together with a strong binding and cover to make a single volume.  Typically one calendar year's worth of issues are bound together.  This is done for a variety of reasons including organization, space, and preservation. broadband Telecommunication in which a wide band of frequencies is available to transmit data.  Because a wide band of frequencies is available, data can be divided (multiplexed) and sent on many frequencies within the band at the same time, allowing more information to be transmitted in a given amount of time.   This is similar to the way in which a highway with more lanes allows more cars to travel on it at the same time.  There is no agreed upon minimum data transmission rate defining this term.  See also bandwidth browser see Web browser call number An alphanumeric code displayed on a label typically attached to the lower spine of library books.  Sometime the label is found on the cover of a work.  A book's call number is unique and identifies that specific work in a library.  The call number also identifies a works subject classification and determines its position on the shelf relative to other works of that subject classification. For example, the call number for our library's latest edition of War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy, is  PG3366 .V6 1983 The ISU Library, like most academic libraries in the U.S., uses the Library of Congress (LC) call number system where call numbers begin with a letters.  Most school and public libraries in the U.S. use the Dewey Decimal call number system where call numbers begin with numerals. catalog see online catalog  citation 1. As a verb, citation is the practice of indicating the origin of  the work of others when we use those works to write our essays, reports, and term papers.  The writing and ideas (intellectual property) of others must be cited to avoid plagiarism.  We use style manuals to help us properly cite our sources.  Electronic databases, Web resources, and information found in web sites must also be cited.  Here is a link to a page about Citing Electronic Materials. 2. as a noun, a citation is the reference: endnote, footnote, bibliography reference, etc., that results from the above process.  The information in a citation describes a specific item, like a book, journal or journal article.   It is a reference to a work from which a passage has been quoted or closely paraphrased.  The form and information contained in a citation varies somewhat from one field of study to another or between citation manuals but includes, at minimum: author, title, publisher, and publication or copyright date. See also  Copyright and Plagiarism. computer literacy Skill in using computer hardware and software to find information.  Compare with information literacy. controlled vocabulary A limited, finite set of indexing/subject terms used by indexers to assign subject classification to a particular work. See also descriptor(s)   cookie(s) A small data string, usually less than 1k in size.  In effect, cookies are an electronic tag, picked up by your browser from web site servers of web sites you visit and stored on your computer's hard drive.  The original intent was to speed the connection or retrieval time of a web site by retrieving, from a user's hard drive, input provided on a previous visit.   Since cookies can be used to determine what specific web sites a user has visited, they can be used to generate profiles of a user's web surfing habits and are increasingly used by advertisers to accumulate Internet user data and build user profiles.  The potential invasiveness of this use has made cookies a focus of debate over Internet privacy.  To a limited extent, most web browser software can now be set to accept or reject cookies at the time they are offered or to reject all cookies automatically.  Cookie management and Cookie Security software is now popular and available in a range of options. copyright Legal protection and rights granted to authors, poets, composers, playwrights, and other creators protecting them against unauthorized use and copying of their work.  A work never copyrighted or no longer protected by copyright is said to be in the public domain.  Here is a source for more information about Copyright and Plagiarism.  See also plagiarism. descriptor(s) A term or terms used to designate the subject(s) of a work.  See also controlled vocabulary. distance learning A method of instruction designed to overcome the barrier of  distance.  Students learn from local centers or at home, either at a pre-arranged time oren at their own convenience using materials supplied to them in print or electronically.  Contact with instructors can be via any combination of web-based instruction, telephone, e-mail, videotape, teleconferencing, etc. domain Portion of a URL that identifies the computer and / or the type of institution or service that is providing information on the Internet.  For example, www.lib.iastate.edu is the domain in the URL of this specific web page you're reading right now, with edu being its top level domain.  Common top level domains include the following: .com - for commercial entities, business, or private enterprise .edu - for four-year, accredited colleges, universities, & other educational institutions .gov - for non-military U.S. government agencies & institutions .mil - for U.S. military organizations .net - for network administration/operations and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) .org - for organizations of many types - often non-profit As of November 2000, there are also a number of other recently approved top level domains, which you can read about at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) website. e-journal A contraction of electronic journal; a journal available in electronic form, typically online, in addition to its print counterpart or available only in electronic form. Sometimes the online version is graphically modeled after the print version (if there is one) but not always.  Similarly: e-mail, e-text, e-conferencing, e-resources, e-reserves, e-library...   electronic reserves Books, journal articles or other works placed on reserve in an academic library which are available in electronic form, either CD or online.  A developing area with many questions yet to be fully resolved, such as copyright, access, distribution, etc. freeware Software available at no cost, typically distribute over the Internet by the developer or publisher who retains copyright.  Compare with shareware. FTP File transfer protocol, a TCP/IP protocol which allows files to be copied from one computer to another over the internet regardless of platform.  A computer which can function as a file server, i.e.. a computer that can store files available to other computers, is known as an FTP site. If no username or password is required for access then such a computer is known as an anonymous FTP site, its files available and/or downloadable to anyone with access to the Internet.  Anonymous FTP sites were common during the early days of the Internet, and while still widely available, have been largely supplanted by the World Wide Web and Web sites/pages as the most popular way of accessing remote files. gif (Graphics Interchange Format) (Note: most commonly pronounced "giff" with a hard g sound, not as in "Jiff") Common format for image or picture files for the web. grey literature Term used to describe "semi-published" literature, or literature not well distributed.  Examples are institutional reports, organizational newsletters - print or electronic, and conference papers not published in official proceedings.  This class of  literature often includes valuable and ultra-current information but can present a challenge to find and access.  A good book on grey literature in the ISU Library collection is Information sources in Grey Literature by Auger, C. P. hit / hits In searching online or other electronic informational databases, this refers to the records or citations to records retrieved as the result of a specific search, for example, a keyword or subject term search.  The results of matching search terms with desired information.  See also keyword. hold A "hold" guarantees that a book currently checked out to someone else will be saved for you when it is returned.  In the ISU Library the hold process must be done in person at the Circulation Desk.  In most libraries, holds are good only for a finite period of time.  Here in the ISU Library a book will be held for 10 days before it is either returned to the collection or the next patron on the hold list is notified.  Compare with recall and renewal. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) The computer code used to create hypertext documents for users of the web.  To see the HTML code for this page, click on "View" in the toolbar of your Web browser and then select document source or page source. http://  (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) A computer communications protocol which allows information organized on html pages on the web to be accessed by remote computers.  However, some popular Web browsers currently default to the http://  protocol, making it unnecessary for you to always type in the http:// portion of the entire URL (or address string) of the web page you want to access.  Not all information accessible via the Internet is organized on html pages; thus, not all Internet information is accessible using the http:// protocol. hypertext A method of organizing data in electronic files.  Hypertext is the basic organizing principle of the World Wide Web.  This page is an example of a hypertext document.  The expression hypertext is often used to refer to just the highlighted word or words on a Web page chosen by that page's creator to mark the link to another web page.  See also HTML  index 1. A (typically alphabetical) list of topics, names, events, etc., found at the back of a book which direct the reader to the page or pages where they are discussed. 2. A print publication or electronic database which lists references to periodical articles, books, and other publications by author and subject, in print indexes and by author, article title and keyword for electronic indexes.  While many indexes are available in both print and electronic format, electronic indexes are increasingly popular because they allow the user to search a number of years of periodical issues with one search.  Print indexes, on the other hand,  typically index one year per volume.  When using an electronic index the user should be alert to which years the index covers. information literacy Technical knowledge and set of skills that enable a person to efficiently and effectively define, locate, evaluate, and use the information one needs.  Information literacy draws upon the related knowledge areas of research skills, library literacy, computer literacy, and critical thinking. interlibrary loan (ILL) A service offered by almost all public and academic libraries in the U.S.  If a book or other item listed in a library's catalog is checked out or unavailable for some reason, a patron can request that the library borrow the book or item from another library.  For the patron this typically involves filling out a printed or online form.  In the Parks Library this form can be filled out in the ILL office, or complete an ILL form online. International Standard Book Number (ISBN) A unique 4 part 10 digit code assigned to specific editions of a book prior to publication.  An ISBN uniquely and concisely identifies a specific book or specific edition of a book.  A book's ISBN is typically printed on the back or right side of the book's title page.  In the ISU Library's online catalog under Advanced Search, one can search for a book by its ISBN. International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) A unique 8 digit code assigned by the International Serials Data System to identify a specific serial.  In the ISU Library's online catalog under Advanced Search, one can search for a serial by its ISSN. Internet An integrated fiber-optic network of networks interconnecting computers of all types throughout the world.  The Internet permits its millions of users electronic communication on a global scale.  The Internet began as ARPAnet, a U.S. Department of Defense project.  Synonymous with Net.  See also World Wide Web. Internet Explorer Microsoft Inc.'s Web browser that allows users to find and view websites. Internet Service Provider (ISP) A company or organization in the business of providing Internet access.  Typically a monthly fee is charged for this service. Internet address The URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of: Web sites, FTP sites, and Telnet sites are all Internet addresses.  E-mail addresses of individuals and organizations are also a type of Internet address. journal A periodical containing scholarly articles, usually devoted to a particular subject field.  Journal articles typically include an abstract or summary before the first paragraph of text and a bibliography or list of works cited in the article at the end of the text.   Compare with magazine. jpeg (Note:  pronounced as in jay peg) Common format for image or picture files that preserves much more detail and subtlety than do gif files, details which cannot always be rendered (viewed accurately) on the web.  Most useful for artwork and photographs. JSTOR (Journal Storage) "JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization established with the assistance of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It is dedicated to helping the scholarly community take advantage of advances in information technologies."  (See JSTOR Website) keyword(s) A significant word or phrase in the title, abstract, or text of a work which can be used as a descriptor in a search to retrieve all records containing that word or phrase. Library 160 ISU's freshman library orientation course.  Purpose: "Introduce students to the use of libraries and information sources, both electronic and print, with an emphasis on the research process. Ensure that students know what library services are available to them."  (See Library 160 pages for more information.) Library of Congress Classification System (LCCS) In order to locate an item in the library, you must have its "call #".  The LCCS assigns a unique alpha-numeric call number to each book and serial title in the Library.  The LCCS is used by most colleges and universities.  An example of a LCCS call# is:   PE1112 P47 1995 magazine A general interest periodical which contains articles on various topic written by different authors.  Typical characteristic of magazines are: abundant color, lots of advertising, slick glossy paper, sort 1-5 page articles, unsigned articles without bibliographies.  Compare with journal.  See also periodical. microfiche A rectangular sheet of photographic film, usually 4x6 inches, used to store miniaturized text and/or images that cannot be read without magnification, typically with the aid of a microforms reader-printer.  Usually each sheet of microfiche will include a readable (without magnification) title or description along its top edge.  The Parks Library Microforms Center is located on the first floor of the Library. microfilm A continuous roll of photographic film in strips, used to store miniaturized text and/or images that cannot be read without magnification, typically with the aid of a microforms reader-printer.  The Parks Library Microforms Center is located on the first floor of the Library. microform A general term used to describe all media used for storage of miniaturized text or images, including: microfiche, microfilm, aperture cards, and microcards.   The Parks Library Microforms Center is located on the first floor of the Library. Netscape Netscape Communications Corp. creates Web browser software.  Their main products have been Netscape Navigator, a Web browser, and Netscape Communicator, a package which includes Navigator and  some e-mail software. Netscape Navigator Netscape Corp.'s stand-alone browser that allows users to find and view websites. network Any number of computers, not necessarily in proximity to each other that have linked to each other by communications lines.  The computers might be in close proximity and be hardwired (connected to each other by cable) or be may be dispersed and connected via phone lines. online catalog An electronic database that serves as the main access tool to a library's collection.  Online catalogs typically let library patrons search, at the very least, by title, author, and keyword and/or subject.  As the result of a search, online catalogs will display the call number and location of the material.  The ISU Library's online catalog is located under Collections on the e-Library, and is accessed by clicking on the Library Catalog link.  Some library's refer to their online catalog as a PAC (public access catalog) or OPAC (online public access catalog).  Before the advent of electronic catalogs, library catalogs were often called card catalogs and typically consisted of three sub-collections of 3x5 note cards filed alphabetically by author, title, and subject. online tutorial An instruction tool in electronic format, typically designed to teach library patrons how to use a particular resource or how to use the resources of an institution or site.  An excellent example are the Library 160 online tutorials used for ISU's freshman library orientation course. PDF (Portable Document Format) File format that captures a facsimile image of a given document that the user can then view, navigate, search, print, or forward to someone else.  PDF files are created and read using software published by Adobe Systems Inc.  PDF files are most often used for the presentation on the web of whole magazine articles or brochures, forms, and original artwork, and brochures where it's of utmost important to preserve the original graphic appearance of the material online.  periodical A type of serial.  A publication with its own title, containing articles and stories usually written by different authors.  To be labeled a periodical, it is implied that the publication is intended to appear indefinitely at regular or stated intervals.  The most common types of periodicals are newspapers, newsletters, magazines, and journals.  See also: magazine, journal. periodical index A subject or author index to a periodical or set of periodicals, or to a group of distinct but related periodicals. personal page Web page by and about an individual, often focusing on his or her likes and dislikes, hobbies, pursuits, family, profession, etc.  Personal pages can be professional or trivial, or both.  It's important to realize that anyone create and publish a page or pages to the Web. plagiarism Copying or closely imitating someone else's work (author, artist, composer...) for the purpose of passing the results off as original work.  To avoid plagiarism, either paraphrase or quote the original work and then properly cite the original source in footnotes or endnotes.  Here is a source of information about style manuals that will help you properly cite the work of others.  Here is a source for more information about copyright and plagiarism.  See also: copyright, style manual, and citation. prefix See protocol.    primary source Fundamental and authoritative documents and records, related to and giving first-hand knowledge of, an event or subject.  In scholarly writing, primary sources include: correspondence, diaries, travel journals, personal papers, photographs, transcripts of interviews or proceedings, and contemporary newspaper accounts.  Contemporary news articles or accounts are those written at the time or during the period of the event or subject described.  Compare with secondary source. protocol A set of formal conventions or rules that govern the exchange of data between computers connected to a network or computers connected by the Internet - in other words, how data can be shared, accessed, sent, and understood by different types of computers.  Data transmission over the Internet is governed by the TCP/IP protocol, implemented in 1982, which allows the users of different types of computers to communicate with each other.  The most common types of protocols include the following:   ftp:// - used to upload or download files on a remote computer  http:// - used to access hypertext (web) pages and websites on the Internet telnet:// - used to access an application program or software running on a remote computer mailto:// - used to send e-mail to a known address, over the web news:// - used to access Usenet newsgroup information gopher:// - used to access information organized on a Gopher server; rarely used in the U.S. anymore  recall The procedure by which an ISU Library patron may retrieve a book that has been checked out by a grad student or faculty member.  ISU faculty and grad students may check books out until the end of the academic school year in May.  If the item record for a book in the ISU catalog shows the due date as (for the 2001/2002 academic year) 5/10/02, this book may still be obtained by the recall process.  Recalls must be place in person at the Circulation Desk.  Compare with hold and renewal. remote computer See network renewal The process of renewing or extending the loan period of library materials.  In the ISU Library, items can be renewed over and over again unless interrupted by a hold or a recall.  Like holds and recalls, renewals must be done in person at the Circulation Desk. reserves An academic library function that coordinates distribution of course material either required or suggested by an instructor.  Reserves may be just about anyhting: books, journal articles, essays, or video or sound recordings.  In the ISU Library, the Reserve Desk is located in the Reserve and Media Services (RMS) room at the foot of the main stairway.  Loan periods are 2 hours for books and other paper reserves and 3 hours for CDs, DVDs, slides, video recordings, sound recordings and other a/v material.  The material, with some exceptions, is not to leave RMS.   The theory behind the reserve function is that over the course of a semester all members of a class will have equal and fair access to the materials placed on reserve by the instructor.  You can also visit the e-Reserves pages for more information. search engine Software designed to help users search the World Wide Web by typing keywords.  Some widely used search engines include Google, AlltheWeb, Alta Vista, Hotbot, Yahoo, and others.  (See the ISU website's Search Engines page for more information.) search strategy A more or less systematic plan for finding and retrieving information from the Web or from an electronic database.  Elements or steps to such plan should include: formulating a topic statement, identifying search terms search terms See: keywords serial A publication in any medium issued in successively numbered and/or dated parts/issues.  Serials may be published at regular or irregular intervals.  Serials include: periodicals, numbered monographic series, annuals such as yearbooks and reports, and proceedings and transactions of organizations and societies.  A serial is identifies by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). secondary source Any material other than primary sources used in the preparation of a published or unpublished work. shareware Software available over the Internet for public use at little or no charge, often made available by an "honor system" of sorts whereby users may download and try the software before paying for it.   Compare with freeware. special collections The ISU Library's Special Collections Dept. (SPCL) is located at the south end of the fourth floor.  Our Special Collections Dept. follows the current model of most academic library special collection depts. in that it encompasses the three areas of: university archives and records, manuscript collections, and the Library's rare books collection.  The Special Collections Dept is open Monday - Friday, 8:00-11:50 and 1:00-5:00.  The materials and collections of the Special Collections Dept. cannot be checked out or taken outside of the department. streaming media real-time sound (audio) and images (video) delivered via the Internet to educate or entertain.  The selected medium or combination is "streamed" in a continuous way to end users allowing them to view or listen before the full program is downloaded to their computer.  Effective reception of streaming media requires broadband technology. style manual A guide which gives the format for typing a research paper or thesis, usually in a specific discipline or group of related disciplines.  A style manual include instructions for typing footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies.  In the Parks Library most style manuals are located either behind the Reference Desk or in the Reference Collection. telnet Computer protocol that allows you to access files, programs, or resources such as databases stored on a remote computer.  See also protocol. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) (Note:  pronounced as U.  R.  L., not as "Earl")   The full and unique address identifying the specific location of an Internet resource.  URLs consist of the protocol (which tells how the remote information will be accessed), the "name" or domain of the organization or computer  (which tells where the remote information is stored, as well as what kind of institution or service is providing the information), and - often, but not always - one or more directories in which the web page you want is filed, and sometimes the name of the actual file itself.  The protocol is always separated from the rest of the address string by a colon and two slashes (://) , and there is never a gap or blank space within a URL.  Understanding how URLs work can help you navigate through portions of a website. username A code name which a user/subscriber must enter to logon or gain access to the contents of a program, a website, or a secured computer system. web See World Wide Web. web browser Software that allows you easily to access and view information available via the web.  Web browsers read the hypertext code (HTML) in which individual web pages are written, and translate that code to display formatted and legible files on your computer screen.  Web browsers also enable you to access Internet information that technically is not "on" the web but is available via other protocols, such as telnet or ftp.  In the U.S., commonly used Web browsers include  Netscape Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. web page An electronic document accessible via the World Wide Web, typically one of a related group of pages comprising a web site.  Every Web page has a unique address called a URL. website A collection of related interlinked Web pages.  Also can refer to the server providing access to those pages.  A web site may represent the activities of an individual, business, society, or organization.  Sometimes website. WebSPIRS The Web interface to electronic information resources and databases created and used by SilverPlatter, a company specializing in publishing such resources via the Web and CD-ROM. World Wide Web (WWW, the web) The portion of the Internet that allows you to access, search, and read html-organized information via the hyptertext transfer protocol.  The web is the fastest growing and the most often used portion of the Internet.  See also: Web browser, web page, website, HTML. Other Glossary Sources: ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science A link to an excellent online dictionary of Library and Information Science terms techtarget.com A link to an excellent online dictionary of Information Technology terms (may take a minute to load) Multilingual Glossary of Library Terms  (from the ALA/ACRL Instruction Section) English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, & Spanish language table of Library & Information Science terms Sources: Heartsill Young, ed., The ALA glossary of library and information science.  Chicago: American Library Association, 1983. Keenan, Stella. Concise Dictionary of Library and Information Science.  New Jersey: Bowker Saur. 1996 Reitz, Joan M.  ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science.  Danbury: Western Connecticut State University, 2000.  Available at http://www.wcsu.edu/library/odlis.html. Rosenberg, Kenyon C. and John J. Elsbree.  Dictionary of Library and Educational Technology.  Englewood, Colorado:  Libraries Unlimited, Inc.,  1989.  Walker, Janice R. and Taylor, Todd.  The Columbia Guide to Online Style.  Columbia University Press, New York, 1998. Steven Johns, August 2002