An summary of an information source. Abstracts may be included with the citations in an index.

Accuracy is a judgment about the truthfulness and correctness of an information source. Accuracy is dependent upon how the information was collected and upon correct grammar and spelling. You can judge accuracy by comparing several sources for the same information.

ACLCP stands for the Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania. ACLCP facilitates the sharing of resources between member libraries. The ACLCP online catalog is a master index to materials available in all the member libraries.

A brief description of an information resource which follows a citation in a bibliography. Generally an annotation should include:

See also: Citation, Bibliography
 

Another name for software program.

The authority of a source is determined by who wrote it and what credentials they have in the field about which they are writing

Permission to connect to a particular computer service.

See:  A/V

Personal beliefs, opinions, or attitudes that prevent one from being objective about a particular topic.

A list of citations related to a specific topic. Bibliographies are generally provided at the end of journal articles, book chapters, and research papers. Sometimes bibliographies include annotations. Bibliographies must adhere to the strict format of a style manual.

 See also: Citation, Annotation, Style manuals
 

When you issue a bookmark command, the computer saves the address of the page you are currently viewing so you can quickly return to that page at any time in the future.

A system that uses sets to include or exclude search terms. Use AND to combine multiple search terms. Use OR to search for either search term. Use NOT to exclude a search term.

Bullets are dots or images which precede items in a list. Bullets are an alternative to numbering items. They are particularly appropriate when the items are in no hierarchical order.

The exact address of a item on the library's shelves.

 See also: Library of Congress classification
 

Denial of access to particular information based on moral, ethical, religious, or political motivations

All the information necessary to locate a specific information resource. Citations usually follow strict formats which can be found in style manuals.

A function in Windows that allows you move icon or text by clicking on it, holding the mouse button down, and dragging the object to the desired position.

The place where Windows stores material which has been cut or copied.

To quit working with a document.

Subject search terms precisely defined by indexers of a given index. Use of a controlled vocabulary permits the searcher to find everything in the product related to that controlled vocabulary term.

Copyright laws protect intellectual property from theft. Ideas and information in print or electronic form are the property of the person who created them. You must obtain permission to use copyrighted material. You may use copyrighted materials for educational purposes if you adhere to the fair-use guidelines.

A note in an index or document which refers you the main entry or preferred term. Often the note begins with See: followed by the term you should use.

A determination of how up-to-date an information source is. Some subject fields are developing rapidly and currency is highly important. Other fields are relatively stable and older information retains much of its value.

A steadily-blinking, vertical line marking where the next character will be inserted in a document.

A feature of many software programs that allows items on the screen to be selected (cut) and placed (paste) in another application.

1. An information source listing names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.

2. On a computer, a directory is an index of the data stored in a particular location on a disk.

A list of email addresses which are chained together and given a nickname so that you can send one message to a group of recipients. Sometimes called a mailing list.

Domain is the part of the Internet or email address that describes the location of  the host computer. Common domains are:

.com = commercial
.edu = educational institution
.gov = governmental
.org = organization
.net = network
.mil = military

Press the left mouse button twice in quick succession.

To copy a file from a remote computer to your computer

Free email-based service which allows subscribers to post messages discussing topics related to a specific area of interest. Many groups are moderated by a person who keeps the discussion on the topic.

A system for sending and receiving electronic messages.

The address of your electronic mailbox. Email addresses are composed as follows:

username@computerhost.domain

Treating others and materials created by others with consideration and respect. Honesty and fairness are key components of ethical behavior.

To close a program.

Many Web sites provide a page of FAQs, frequently asked questions. FAQ pages are valuable because they provide quick answers to common problems and questions.

1. You copy a significantly small part of the work.
2. You are using the copy for personal scholarship.
3. The copying was spontaneous and there was no time to obtain permission.

The results of a search that match your search criteria, but have nothing to do with your intended topic.

Commercial software to prohibit users of a particular computer or computer network from viewing Web sites that have been determined to be objectionable.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution provides protection for the freedom of speech.

The design of the type. Some fonts have fancy letters, others are plain.

Computer software which is available at no charge via the Internet.

FTP, file transfer protocol, is a standardized computer function which allows files to be transferred from one computer to another via the Internet.

Full text indicates that a particular database provides the entire textual content of an article or document.  Some databases provide only citations or abstracts, while others provide the full text.

GUI, graphical user interface, is a system which allows you access programs by pointing and clicking on icons, buttons, and windows rather than typing in a string of commands. It is pronounced "gooey."

A website or e-mail message that intentionally deceives the viewer or reader, often in reference to a false virus alert.

A statement describing the specific range of issues the library owns of a particular periodical title.  Usually expressed as a range including the years and the volume numbers.

1. The page your Web browser automatically loads when you start it.

2. The opening Web page for any Web site, for example: the library's home page.

(Hypertext Markup Language)-- The standard computer language for encoding Web documents. HTML involves adding codes or tags indicating format and style for a page as well as addresses for links.

(Hypertext Transfer Protocol)-- The standard language which allows computers to communicate on the Web. Web addresses may begin with http://. Many Web browsers fill in the HTTP automatically.

Text or icons which are set up to connect you to another Web page or another part of the document. When you click on a hyperlink, also called link, the computer will transfer you to the selected site. Text links are usually underlined on the screen.

An icon is a visual representation of a computer function, program, or document.

A tool to locate information resources by author, title, subject, and other known data.

The creative original work of a person or persons .  It is protected by copyright law.

Interlibrary loan, ILL, is a service which allows people to obtain books and journal articles which are not owned by their library.

The Internet (note upper-case "I") is a vast system of interconnected computer networks which communicate using TCP/IP protocols.

 See Also: TCP/IP
 

Issue number is used in conjunction with the volume number to indicate a specific magazine or journal issue. For example, v87 n2 is the February, 1997, issue of The American Journal of Public Health

A subject-specific, scholarly periodical.

Describes how text fits up against the margins. Most common is left justification which aligns text with the left margin and leaves the right side ragged. Forced justification makes the text align with both the left and right margins creating a rectangle of text.

Any words, phrases, or synonyms you think describe your topic. Searching by keywords is less precise than searching by subject headings; however, keyword searching is very useful when you do not know a subject heading.

To be held legally responsible for an action.

To write and publish something untrue and damaging to a person or organization. If you commit libel, you can be sued for damage to someone's reputation.

A system of organizing materials in the library by subject so that all the resources on the same general topic are on the shelves together. This type of organization allows you to browse the shelves for more information.

The computer program that runs an electronic discussion group. To subscribe, unsubscribe or make other changes to you subscription, you send email to the listserv.

To connect to a computer system. Frequently you will need a username and password. You can only login to a computer system you are authorized to use.

To disconnect from a computer system.

A general-readership, popular periodical.

A function in Windows software which enlarges a selected tab in the taskbar to a full-size window.

An Internet search tool that simultaneously searches multiple search engines or directories

Printed material available for viewing and printing on sheets of microfilm.

Printed material available for viewing and printing on reels of film.

A function in Windows software which reduces a selected window to a tab in the taskbar.

A type of searching that uses everyday language in the form of a question as input.

Generally large Internet forums for discussion of a vast variety of specific interests.

Common-sense good manners on the Internet.

A judgment of how fairly and equally an information source treats all sides of a topic. An objective source relies on facts rather than opinions or beliefs.

See Also: Bias,
 

To retrieve a saved document.

A computer system indexing all the materials held by an individual library. Also called an OPAC.

A string of letters, numbers, and sometimes symbols assigned to a person authorized to use a particular computer or computer service.

Any publication printed on a regular, predictable schedule. A periodical may be published weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.

A subject listing of what articles have been published in what magazines and journals. Some periodical indexes are general in scope and others are subject-specific.

A widely-used program to manage email.

Stealing someone else's ideas or information and presenting them as your own.

Popular sources are books and magazine articles written for the general public.

Portal

See: Web Portal
 

Microsoft presentation software that displays graphical slide shows using a projector connected to a PC.  Especially useful as a visual aid during a speech.

Primary sources are results of experiments or original research, literary works, autobiographies, original theories, and other materials.

See Also: Secondary sources
 

Standard procedures for carrying out a task. Various Internet protocols allow a wide variety of computer systems to cooperate and communicate.

Some search tools use proximity of two or more search terms to determine relevancy of a result.

Menus of options which appear when you click on any of the categories in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

As in 'refereed journal' or 'refereed publication'.  Some journals use a board of referees to review submitted manuscripts to insure that they meet rigorous academic standards of excellence and quality.

To copy material on the computer screen to the computer's hard drive or a floppy disk for later use.

Research articles and books written by and for scholars in the particular field of study.

The scope of an information source refers to what topics, resources, and time periods the source specifically includes in or excludes from its coverage. For example, Encyclopedia Britannica covers a broad range of topics, while Gale Business Resources focuses on information about companies.

A specific type of Internet search tool that uses a computer program called a spider to gather information from the Internet and index it for later retrieval.

A plan for conducting information research. A search strategy includes a list of databases and indexes to search, a list of keywords and subject headings relevant to the topic, and knowledge of how to enter the search into the database or index.

Sources compiling or critiquing original works. Examples of secondary sources include literary criticism, biographies, encyclopedia articles, and journal articles critiquing the work of others.

A generic term that includes all types of Internet search tools, inlcuding search engines, directories, and metasearchers.

Any publication printed on an ongoing basis. Magazines, journals, annual reviews, and almanacs are examples of serials.

Computer software available on the Internet for a free trial period. Anyone interested can download the software and try it for a limited amount of time. In order to continue using the software, you must register it with the company for a small fee.

An icon which you can click to go directly to a program or document.

A row of icons at the top of the Windows display. You can click on any icon to quickly start the program.

A signature block, also called a sig block, is a preset block of text with your name, address, email address, and other pertinent information which is automatically appended to every email message you send.

One screen or page of a Power Point presentation.

Unsolicited e-mail.  It is considered poor netiquette to send e-mail to other people without specifically being invited to do so.

Various embellishments can be added to type. Bold and italic are two common type styles.

Publications listing and describing strict guidelines for writing research articles, essays, and bibliographies. Many professional fields have their own style manuals. Style manuals are important because they insure consistency among publications.

Precisely defined terms and phrases assigned to materials in an index. When you search on a subject heading, you will locate all the materials relevant to that subject. You may also find subdivisions of the subject heading and cross references to other related subject headings.

To join a newsgroup or electronic discussion group. Subscribing is free.

Rows of words or icons at the bottom of the screen which indicate the files and programs currently open. The taskbar may also include the date, time, and other information.

(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol): A set of rules that govern how information moves among computers on the Internet

A program that is used to connect to a computer on the internet.  Most commonly used in UNIX based systems to access PINE e-mail.

A prepared format for a particular type of document. Common templates include business letters, memorandums, and reports.

1. A list of words and their synonyms.

2. For a controlled vocabulary, a thesaurus is a list of the subject headings with cross-references.

The name for a series of newsgroup or electronic discussion group postings relating to one specific issue.

Rows of words or icons at the top of the screen which allow you to activate various functions.

Periodical articles and books written for and by people working in specific trade occupations. Examples of trade publications are periodicals for construction, mechanics, and automotive repair.

 See Also: Popular sources , Scholarly sources
 

To search for the root of a word or for variations in the spelling of a word. Usually you must use a symbol to tell the computer to truncate, and the symbol varies according to the computer system you are using. For example, to search for disease or diseases, you might type: disease+.

To cancel subscription to a newsgroup or electronic discussion group.

To copy files from your computer to another computer.

URL, uniform resource locator, is the standard address form for any resource on the Web. A typical URL looks like this:

A personal code that identifies you to a computer system which you are authorized to use.

A virus is a malicious computer program which attacks your computer.  There are many types of viruses with different effects.  Virus checking software is available through the York College Network

In relation to periodicals, volume number refers to all the issues of a specific journal or magazine for a limited time period, usually one year. For books, volume indicates the order of a book in a series or set.

A program on an individual computer which allows the user to view HTML documents (Web pages). Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer are two common Web browsers.

An HTML document on the World Wide Web.

A particular type of website that is designed to be a one-stop shopping experience to access all areas of the internet.  Web portals, typically include a search tool, as well as links to weather, news, stock quotes and other commonly used information.

The collection of Web pages maintained by an individual, company, or institution.

A computer operating system for personal computers which has a graphical user interface. It supports the point-and-click capability.

A program that walks you through the steps of creating a particular type of document. When you use a wizard to create a chart, html document, etc., you simply answer questions the wizard asks.

Microsoft software that allows for the easy manipulation of text documents.

A vast network of interconnected computer systems which communicate using HTTP hypertext protocols. Also called the Web.