Basic Library Research

A Researcher's Vernacular

 

To find out more about all of these vocabulary words go to the online resources page.

 

Boolean Searching: A code that can be used in most search engines to limit, refine, or expand a search.

 

Library Catalog: An index of all items which can be found in a library or library network. 

 

Search Engine: A program which searches the internet based on keywords. Spiders, software robots, create the database of information that search engines' store.

 

Research Database: An organized program which has an index of information including videos, images, numbers, and text.

 

Periodicals: Published works that are published on a routine schedule including magazines, newsletters, volumes of books, and newspapers.

 

Academic Journals: Periodicals which are peer reviewed, usually present information new information, an article review, or a book review.

 

Peer-reviewed: Evaluated by a peer of the author, usually to help improve or prove the work is credible.

 

Copyright: A legal right used to protect the distribution and use of someone's work.

 

Public Domain: Works that belong to or are available to the public for use.  

 

Creative Commons: A non-profit organization which helps more works be available to the public for their use.

 

Citation: A reference to a work.

 

Citation Style: Different styles of citation including APA, MLA, AMA, Chicago, and Turabian.

 

Information Literacy Skills: To have the ability to know what information you need, how to find it, how you can analyze it, and how it can be applied.

 

Inquiry Learning: Learning by creating a question to answer or a problem to solve.

 

Digital Divide: The division between people who have access to technology, including the internet, and people who do not.

 

Digital Citizenship: Responsible behavior towards technology.

 

Evaluating Sources: An important step in the research process where you must check the reliability of the sources that you are going to use.

 

Primary Sources: Something, usually a written document, which was created during the time of study.

 

Secondary Sources: Something, usually a written document, which is created after the time of study that analyzes or interprets a primary source.