Whole New Words:
Brian's Glossary of Terms Used in College

Glossary of Terms

Academic honesty:: Academic honesty means that you are being honest in your academic studies by using your own words and ideas, properly citing your sources, not making up false information, and not cheating or helping someone else cheat. Your professors will talk about how to avoid plagiarizing someone else's intellectual property. A university's Academic Honesty Policy outlines the rules for student intellectual behavior and explains the penalties for not following these rules.
APA citation style: APA stands for the American Psychological Association. If a professor requires you to use "APA style," he/she wants you to follow the rules of the APA Publication Manual to create your parenthetic citations and bibliography. APA style is usually used in the social sciences (history, education, psychology, etc.).

http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
Information from the American Psychological Association web site

http://www.liu.edu/cwis/CWP/library/workshop/citapa.htm
Easy-to-understand APA citation examples

http://www.transitioning2college.org/extra_citation_sites.html
Brian's Best Citation Sites

Blue book: Usually 8 1/2 by 7 inches in size, a blue book is a booklet that you use to take an exam. The cover is usually blue (see Green book) and has a place for you to write your name and the name of the class, etc. Inside, the pages are ruled notebook sheets on which you write the answers to the exam questions. You will either be required to purchase one from the college bookstore, or your professor will provide one for you on exam day.

http://www.artstuff.net/comet_examination_blue_books.htm
Picture of a blue book
Boolean operators (connectors): Boolean operators are words that are used to combine search terms to produce better, more specific results. And narrows a search by requiring that both search term A and search term B are included in each result. Or widens a search by returning results that either have search term A or search term B. Not limits a search by specifying that term B cannot be included in the results. Boolean operators can be used to combine more than two terms.

http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.html
Shows you how to use Boolean operators and the difference they make in a search

http://www.library.kent.edu/page/10663
Kent's Boolean operator page

http://www.transitioning2college.org/additional_resources.html#booleanConnectors
Transitioning to College Web sites
Bound journals (Bound periodicals): Older editions of periodicals are bound into hardcover volumes and shelved in the Bound Periodicals. On the shelves they are usually arranged alphabetically by the title of the journal and then their volume number. Some libraries shelve bound journals by call number.
Bursar: The Bursar is a university office that handles billing and refunds financial aid if there is an overpayment. Room and board, tuition, special fees, and sometimes parking passes are billed through and payable at the Bursar's office.

Call number: Call numbers are codes consisting of numbers and letters that are assigned mostly to books but may be used for other library materials such as videos or pamphlets or journals. When you search for an item in the library catalog, you will see its call number, which tells you where to look for the material in the library. Once you get to the appropriate section/floor of the library, the call number helps you locate the item on a shelf. Look for the call number on the book spine or the cover of the material.
Citation: A citation is information that identifies a publication so that you can locate it. A citation includes information such as author, title, date, and publication information. Citations are usually listed in the bibliography or reference section at the end of a journal article, book, or Web page. When you compile a reference list for a research paper, you include the citations for the materials that you used to find your information.

Database: A database is an organized collection of information records that can be searched. A library's online catalog is one example of a database; you perform a search and receive relevant results. There are also databases available on CD-ROM and electronic databases for journal articles. Examples of journal databases are Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Biological Abstracts. You will hear librarians and faculty use the word database frequently.
Dean: A dean is an administrator in charge of a school, college, regional campus, or division within the university. Examples include the Dean of the College of Education, the Dean of Students, and the Dean of Libraries.
Dewey Decimal Classification: One way to organize library materials is according to the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Many school and public libraries use this system, which assigns numbers to materials based on where they fit within the ten main classes. For instance, a book on U.S. history would have a 973 call number; this fits within the 900s, which is the main class for geography and history.

http://library.wcsu.edu/web/help/finding/dewey/
Explains how to read a Dewey Decimal call number. Click on a link in the upper right to display the ten main Dewey classes and the hundred divisions.

EBSCOhost: EBSCOhost is a company that has created an interface to allow you to search for articles in a number of online databases. The EBSCOhost interface provides many ways to limit the search, such as by asking for full-text or scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles only, or by specifying the publication date. Also provided are a few ways to expand the search.
Electronic reserves (E-reserves): E-reserves are journal articles and book chapters that professors want to make available to all of their students electronically. These documents are available 24 hours a day through the university's library Web site. Usually a separate password is required to access the materials for each class.

Gated Web: Gated Web refers to a set of Web resources that are restricted in some way. In colleges and universities, the Gated Web usually includes databases, electronic books, or other tools only available to current students, faculty, or staff. To get to the Gated Web from off-campus, you usually have to have a password or authenticate your student status in some way. You are often charged for resources on the Public Web that you can get for free through the Gated Web. The Gated Web is sometimes referred to as the Invisible Web.
Government documents: Some college libraries are federal and/or state repositories and have a government document collection. Although these documents are catalogued and available through the card catalog, they do not follow the Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress Classification. Federal documents are arranged by their Superintendent of Documents number. Many government documents are available online. Two good Web sites for finding documents from government agencies are www.usa.gov and www.fedstats.gov.
Graduate assistant: A graduate assistant (G.A.) is a student enrolled in a graduate program who works part-time performing research, teaching, or providing administrative support in return for tuition and a monthly stipend.
Green book: A green book performs the same function as a Blue book, but it is made from recycled paper.

Interlibrary Loan: Materials that your college does not own may be borrowed from another library through interlibrary loan. This includes journal articles and books. Generally students are not charged to use this service. If your library does not own a title that you need for your research, ask your librarian about Interlibrary Loan.

Keyword: One type of search that you can perform in a database or online catalog is a keyword search. Keywords are important words found in the title, text, or abstract. A keyword search allows you to use natural language and Boolean operators.

Library of Congress Classification: One way to organize library materials is according to the Library of Congress Classification System. Many college and university libraries use this system. Letters represent the subject areas. For instance, law books begin with K; agriculture books begin with S. These beginning letters are then followed by a series of numbers.

http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit03/libraries03_04.phtml
How to read LC call numbers

http://www.transitioning2college.org/additional_resources.html
#libraryOfCongressClassification
Transitioning to College Library of Congress resources

Microfiche: Microfiche is a clear plastic card, usually 4x6 inches, which holds the reduced images of many pages of text. A special reader is required to project the image so that it can be read. Your library may even provide the technology necessary to scan microfiche documents, which can then be saved, printed, or emailed.
Microfilm: Microfilm is a roll of black and white 35 mm film that holds the reduced images of several pages of text. A special reader is required to project the image so that it can be read. Your library may even provide the technology necessary to scan microfilm documents, which can then be saved, printed, or emailed.
Microform: Microform is a general term that encompasses both microfiche and microfilm. Microforms are used to preserve text and conserve space in the library. To enlarge the images, you must use a special reader, which the library provides.
MLA citation style: MLA stands for the Modern Language Association. If a professor requires you to use "MLA style," he/she wants you to follow the rules of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers to create your parenthetic citations and bibliography. MLA style is usually used in literature, philosophy, the arts, etc.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html
Citation guide from Purdue University Online Writing Lab

http://www.liu.edu/cwis/CWP/library/workshop/citmla.htm
Easy-to-understand MLA citation examples

http://www.transitioning2college.org/extra_citation_sites.html
Brian's Best Citation Sites

Online catalog: An online catalog, sometimes called an OPAC, is the library's database that you use to search for items that the library owns. You may perform a variety of searches using the online catalog, including author, title, keyword, and subject searches. Academic libraries often have unique names for their online catalogs such as KentLINK, OSCAR, and ALICE.

Peer-reviewed journal: A peer-reviewed journal is considered to have the most reliable information because of its review process. Two or more researchers in the author's field read, edit, and check the article's facts before recommending the article to the editor for publication. Peer-reviewed journals are often referred to as scholarly journals.

http://lis.dickinson.edu/library/Research/EvaluatingRes/scholarly.html
Explains scholarly journals and the peer review process

http://www.lib.calpoly.edu/research/guides/peer.html
Explains the difference between a scholarly journal and a peer-reviewed journal

http://www.unf.edu/library/guides/refereedarticle.html
Explains the peer review process and has a glossary
Periodicals: The word periodical is used to refer to publications that are issued on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.). Periodicals refer to popular magazines, trade journals, scholarly journals, and newspapers. Most professors will specify the type of periodical that they will accept for a research paper.

http://www.mhc.ab.ca/Library/howtoguides/what%20are%20periodicals.pdf
Explains the difference between popular, trade, and scholarly journals
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of someone else's ideas, images, words, or data as if they were your own. Plagiarism occurs through various means, including not using quotation marks around someone else's words; not identifying the source of the data, images, or words; not including a bibliography; and copying or purchasing someone else's paper. Plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty and is punishable by the professor and/or university.

http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/help/plagiarism/index.htm
Shows examples of plagiarism in a slide show presentation

http://www.transitioning2college.org/additional_resources.html#plagiarism
Additional plagiarism resources on this Web site


Provost: The Provost is the administrator who supervises academic policies and activities. The Provost oversees instruction, curricula, and the individual colleges within the university. Not all colleges have a provost, but there will almost always be an administrator in charge of these areas.
Public Web: Public Web refers to those Web sites and pages that are accessible to people conducting a search using a search engine such as Google or Dogpile. All information on the World Wide Web is not, however, accessible this way. For instance, many listserv postings, research findings, and periodical articles cannot be located by performing an ordinary search. This information is "hidden" unless you have access to the subscription databases that will allow you to locate this information. You may hear this "hidden" information referred to as the Invisible Web or Gated Web. Colleges subscribe to many databases that will allow you to find some of this non-public information.

Registrar: The Registrar is the office responsible for keeping student academic records. The Registrar is responsible for class registration, keeping track of student eligibility and academic probation, and filling requests for transcripts.
Reserves: This is an area of the library that holds course materials for professors who have requested them to be accessible to all of the students in his/her classes. Usually there is a time limit for checking out reserve items. This will vary among libraries. Sometimes a faculty member will put an item on electronic reserve.

Scholarly journal: Scholarly journals contain articles written by scholars or researchers and reflect current research in the field. Scholarly journals use a peer-review process.
Search engine: A search engine creates and maintains its own database of pages on the World Wide Web. When you perform a keyword search, the search engine accesses the database to return links to pages that contain your keywords. Examples of search engines include Google, Yahoo!, Scirus, and Dogpile.

http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html
Helps match your needs with an appropriate search engine
Search strategy: A search strategy is your plan for finding information in an online resource. It involves identifying your key terms, coming up with synonyms for those terms, and then deciding how to combine them in a search.
Stacks: The term stacks refers to shelving areas in the library that hold the bulk of the library's materials.
Subject heading: A subject heading is a word or phrase that is assigned by a cataloger to describe the material (book, journal article, video, etc.). The Library of Congress is usually the source of the subject headings. Looking at the assigned subject headings can help you understand what the material is about. When you perform a subject search, you are searching for these preassigned subject headings. Unless you know the subject heading, you may want to search by keyword instead.
Syllabus: At the beginning of the semester, each professor will distribute a syllabus for his/her class. A syllabus provides an overview of the course and the professor's expectations. Also included is specific information such as how to contact the professor, his/her office hours, required and suggested readings, assignments, a timeline, and the grading policy.

Teaching assistant: A teaching assistant (T.A.) is a student who assists a professor by supervising labs, leading discussion sections, grading, and/or providing direct instruction. Usually teaching assistants are graduate students.

Writing Center: If you need assistance with a paper, you should visit your college's Writing Center. At the Writing Center you will find help for every stage of the writing process. Some Writing Centers provide online services and tutorials in addition to their one-on-one sessions. The Writing Center on your campus may go by a different name, but your librarians can help you locate it.

Transitioning to College

Helping You Succeed

Learning Modules

Whole New Words:
Brian's Glossary of Terms Used in College

Glossary of Terms

Transitioning to College

Helping You Succeed

Learning Modules

Whole New Words: Brian's Glossary of Terms Used in College

Glossary of Terms

Whole New Words:
Brian's Glossary of Terms Used in College