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Native American Research Tutorial

Glossary of Terms

Please note: Most of the following definitions were compiled from two main sources: the Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science (denoted by *) and the Florida Community College, LIS 2004 Glossary (denoted by #).They can be found at:

Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science (ODLIS)
http://vax.wcsu.edu/library/odlis.html

Florida Community College, LIS 2004 Glossary
http://lscc.cc.fl.us/library/lis2004/glossary.htm

A

Annotation
A critical or explanatory note, usually included in a bibliographical reference or citation, which may provide information about the author and content of the work cited. *

Article
A work of prose, usually on a specific topic, identified by its title (or heading) and often by its author(s), and published in a book or periodical containing several such works. *

Authority Control 
The procedures by which consistency of form is maintained in the headings (names, uniform titles, series, and subjects) used in a library catalog or file of bibliographic records, through the application of an authority file to new items as they are added to the collection. *

Authority File 
A list of the authoritative forms of names, uniform titles, series, and subjects used in a library catalog or file of bibliographic records, to assure that headings are consistently applied as new items are added to the collection. *

B

Boolean Operator
A word (AND, OR, or NOT) that helps you narrow, broaden, or refine the scope of a keyword search. On the Internet, you can use Boolean operators with most search engines. #

Boolean searching
A method of combining concepts in keywords search which allows the searcher to use three logical commands (sometimes called "operators").

• The OR command is used to expand or broaden search results by including synonyms and related terms.

• The AND command is used to narrow search results. Each time another concept is added using "and" the search becomes more specific. In some online catalogs, and electronic databases, the "and" command is implicit -- there is no need to type it in a  keywords search.

• The NOT command is used to exclude unwanted records from search results.

When two different Boolean commands are used in the same search statement, parentheses must be included to indicate which command is to be performed first. See also nesting.

        Search statement: television and (violence or aggression)
        Or just: television (violence or aggression) *

For more on Boolean Searching, click here.

Browser
See web browser.

C

Citation
A written reference to a specific work (book, article, dissertation, report, musical composition, etc.) by a particular author or creator which identifies the document in which the work may be found. Citation format varies from one field of study to another. Citation style manuals are usually available at the reference desk in academic libraries.*

Concept search
A search for documents related by concept to a word, rather than specifically containing the word itself. Sometimes called topical or subject searching. See also keyword search. #

Controlled vocabulary
An established list of preferred terms from which an indexer or cataloger may select when assigning descriptors or subject headings to the bibliographic record representing a work. Synonymous and closely related terms may be included as lead-in vocabulary followed by a cross-reference to "See" or "Use" the preferred term. The Library of Congress Subject Headings are one example of a controlled vocabulary. See also thesaurus. *

Corporate Author 
A corporate body such as an association, institution, commercial company, or government agency in whose official name a publication is issued. The corporate name is entered by a cataloger in the statment of responsibility area of the bibliographic record and used as the heading in an author entry in a library catalog. 

D

Descriptor
See subject heading

DNS (Domain Name System)
The worldwide system which regulates Internet host names. Each host must have a unique name. Top-level domains in the United States include .com, .edu, .gov, .net, and .org. Two letter country codes such as .se (Sweden) and .ca (Canada) are used for other countries. Some U.S. sites also have a state and country designation, such as .fl.us. See also domain name. #

Document
A physical or digital entity which records all or part of a work or several works. Documents appear in a variety of formats including books, pamphlets, periodicals, maps, manuscripts, graphics, audiorecordings, videorecordings, motion pictures, microfiche, microfilm and digital files. *

Domain name
A name that uniquely identifies an Internet computer site. The domain name for San Juan College is sjc.cc.nm.us. Domain names always have two or more parts, separated by dots. The first part is a specific computer site name. The second part indicates the type of site. Site types include .edu (educational), .com (commercial), .gov (government), .lib (libraries), and .org (organizations). See also DNS (Domain Name System). #

F

Field searching
A means of narrowing a database search in specific fields such as author, title, date, type of resource, type of web site, URL etc. #

Free-text search
See natural language

Fulltext
The entire text of a work. A fulltext journal database contains, in addition to citations, the complete text of a significant proportion of the articles indexed. A fulltext journal, magazine, or newspaper article which was originally published in a paper version may have been reformatted from the original and may not include   graphics, charts, or maps in their original format. #

G

H

Home page
In the World Wide Web, the hypertext page that appears by default when you access a Web host. Typically, a home page serves as a contents page for the host and provides links to other Web pages. #

Host
The name given to an individual computer attached to the Internet. A host computer  functions as an end point of data transfer on the Internet. #

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
The standard markup language for documents available to the World Wide Web.  HTML is a variation of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) which is frequently used to mark up or identify the parts of electronic texts for display and analysis. HTML provides tags to format World Wide Web documents. #

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
The protocol which allows browsing on the World Wide Web. The protocol allows a user browsing a hypertext document to jump to another document that may be located on another host thousands of miles away, and to retrieve the information in that document. #

Hyperlink
In a hypertext or hypermedia document, an emphasized word, phrase, image or other element that, when selected, leads to another document. Sometimes called a hot link. #

I

Index
An alphabetically arranged list of names, places, and topics treated in a printed work which gives the page number(s) on which each topic is discussed. Usually located at the end of a book, or in the last volume of a multi-volume work. More broadly, a finding-guide to the contents of published material in a library collection, or in a specific field of research.  *

Indexing and Abstracting Service
A service which provides citations and, in some cases, abstracts for a set of published documents, such as journal or newspaper articles. The indexes can be published in print format, such as the Social Science Index. These are generally published annually, with some updates throughout the year. Many indexes and abstracts are now produced in electronic databases, usually accessible by author, subject, and keywords. First Search is an example of an electronic indexing and abstracting service. 

Interlibrary loan
If a book or other item needed by a library user is checked out or not available for some other reason, or if the library does not own the item, a registered borrower may have the privilege of requesting the item from another library. Some libraries permit interlibrary loan requests to be submitted electronically via e-mail or the World Wide Web. #

Internet Explorer
A popular graphical web browser. Internet Explorer supports the latest interactive features offered on web sites. #

IP address
Also called an Internet address. The unique address for each computer on the Internet. The IP address appears as a set of four numbers separated by periods. The numbers indicate the domain, the network, the subnetwork and the host computer. Each IP address usually has an equivalent domain name address, which is spelled out with letters. #

J

K

Keyword search
A search for documents containing one or more keywords that are specified by a user. See also concept search. #

L

Library of Congress Classification (LCC) 
A system of classifying books and other works devised by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. which divides human knowledge into broad categories indicated by letters of the Latin alphabet, with further subdivisions indicated by decimal notation. 

          LC call number: PN 2035.H336 1991  *

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
A descriptive word or phrase selected by a subject specialist at the Library of Congress from the Library of Congress Subject Headings list and assigned to a book or other item when it is first published, to indicate its subject. Multiple subject headings are assigned when necessary or desirable. The complete list of LC subject headings is published in a multi-volume set known as "the big red books" available in the reference area of larger public and academic libraries. *

M

Meta-search engine
A search tool that queries multiple search engine databases simultaneously. #

Microfiche
A card-shaped piece of photographic film, usually 4x6 or 3x5 inches in size, used for storage of miniaturized text in a grid pattern which can be read only with the aid of magnification by a reader/printer machine.  *

Microfilm
A continuous roll of photographic film, used for storage of miniaturized text which can be read only with magnification by a reader/printer machine. In some libraries, back files of periodicals are routinely converted to microfilm to save space. Reader/printer machines are usually available in libraries with microfilm holdings for viewing and making copies. *

N

Nesting
In Boolean searching, using parentheses to embed a logical operation within another logical operation, thereby indicating the order in which the logical operators or commands are to be executed by a computer (syntax). In the following example, the Boolean "or" command will be executed first, followed by "not" and then "and."

• Search statement: children and violence and ((television or media) not cartoon*) *

Netscape Navigator
A popular graphical web browser. Netscape supports the  latest interactive features offered on web sites. #

Newspaper
A publication printed on newsprint and distributed daily or weekly, containing news, editorials, regular commentary by syndicated columnists, cartoons, advertising, and other items of general interest. In libraries, newspaper back files are usually converted to microfilm or microfiche to save space. Reader/printer machines are usually provided for viewing and making copies of material in microform format. Most major newspapers distribute current issues on the World Wide Web. *

O

Online catalog (OPAC)
A library catalog whose records are in machine-readable (digital) format and maintained on a computer which provides interactive access via terminals or PCs which are in direct, continuous communication with the computer during each transaction. *

P

Periodical
A publication with a distinctive title issued in softcover more than once, usually at regular intervals, without prior decision as to when the final issue will appear. Includes newspapers, newsletters, magazines, and journals. Sold at newsstands and by subscription. Libraries usually bind all the issues which appear during a specific calendar year in a single numbered volume. *

Periodical index
A cumulative list of periodical articles, arranged alphabetically by subject and by author's last name. Most periodical indexes are devoted to a specific field (example: PsycInfo in psychology) or type of periodical (example: New York Times Index). In libraries, periodical indexes may be available in print, on CD-ROM, via the online catalog, or as separate online databases. See also indexing and abstracting service.*

Phrase searching
A means of narrowing a database search to display documents which include a particular phrase, or series of words in a specified order. Search engines usually require quotation marks to indicate phrases. #

Example: "Native American" will retrieve only those items that include this exact phrase, rather than the documents with these words anywhere and in any order.

R

Reference book
A book designed to be used to find specific items of information, rather than read cover-to-cover. Reference books include dictionaries, concordances, encyclopedias, handbooks, directories, and atlases. Reference books are usually shelved in a separate section known as the reference stacks, or may be available online. In most libraries, reference books may not be checked out because they are needed on a daily basis to answer questions at the reference desk. *

Reference librarian
A librarian employed in a reference department who is responsible for providing helpful information in response to questions posed by users of the library. Reference service may be delivered in person, or by phone or e-mail. *

Remote access
Communication with a distant computer system or computer network. May require the user to type or enter an authorized username and password, and special software or hardware, such as a modem. *

Retrieval Set
The total number or list of items that match the search criteria of any given query. Also called "hits" or "results."

S

Search statement
See Search string.

Search strategy
In a search for information, a systematic plan in which the first step is to formulate a topic statement, the next step is to identify search terms appropriate to the topic, and the following step is to combine the terms in search strings acceptable to the database or other tool used in searching. Reference books and subject thesauri can be very helpful in identifying and selecting search terms. See also Boolean searching. *

Search string
A string of words or a phrase that is used to search and locate or retrieve a specific piece of information or file from a database or a set of documents. With some searchable databases, or with advanced searches, the search statement may include words, Boolean operators and other characters such as +, = or *. Sometimes called "search statement". See also Boolean searching. #

Search term
In database searching, a word or phrase expressing an information need or query which is acceptable to a specific search software system.  *

Subheading
A secondary heading added to a subject heading, usually following a dash or some other punctuation, to divide entries under the subject into more specific subcategories. *

Example: Indians of North America--Economic conditions.

Subject heading
In libraries, a word or phrase assigned to a work to indicate its subject, and to serve  as an access point in an index, catalog, or database. Sometimes called "Descriptors." *

Subscription-based database
A database which is provided by a database vendor for a specific period of time by lease or subscription. First Search and Proquest are two examples. #

T

Thesaurus
A book of terms, usually arranged alphabetically, which provides a grouping or classification of synonyms (similar terms), and may also indicate hierarchical and other relationships of meaning, for example, broader terms (BT), narrower terms (NT), and related terms (RT). 

Also, a list of terms comprising the specialized vocabulary of a particular discipline or field, showing synonymous, hierarchical, and other relationships of meaning, particularly a list of descriptors which serves as the controlled vocabulary used in indexing the literature of the field and in online database retrieval. Thesauri can be useful in finding terms to make a search statement more general or more specific. 

          Examples: 
               Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors 
               Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms 
               Thesaurus of Sociological Indexing Terms 
               Contemporary Thesaurus of Social Science Terms and Synonyms *

Truncation
The addition of a symbol to a word root in a keyword search to retrieve variant endings on the root. Truncation is particularly useful in retrieving both the singular and the plural forms of a word in the same search. In most online catalogs and electronic databases, the truncation symbol is the asterisk (*), although other symbols may be used. *

U

• The following is a sample URL: http://www.sjc.cc.nm.us/Lib/index.html 

W

Web site
A site or location on the World Wide Web. A Web site contains a home page, or contents page, which is the first document users see when they enter the site. The site may also contain additional pages. Each site is owned and managed by an individual, company or organization. Also written website. #

Wildcard
In a keyword search, a symbol may sometimes be inserted in the middle of a search term to retrieve words containing any character in the designated position. The wildcard symbol may vary from one type of search software to the next. See also truncation and Boolean searching. Example: In some databases, the keywords search wom+n (or wom?n) will retrieve records containing both "woman" and "women."  *

World Wide Web (WWW or "the Web")
A worldwide hypermedia information retrieval system which aims to provide global access to the Internet. The Web uses hypertext rather than menus to move through the Internet. When you activate a hyperlink, the web browser automatically makes the connection to the host that houses the requested document, and retrieves the document while hiding the details of the file transfer process. #