A brief summary of a book, article, or other source. Some databases may use "Abstracts" in their titles to signify that they primarily contain abstracts of sources rather than the full-text (although you may be able to still find full-text using the Search @ DU Libraries!).
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, access is defined as, "the opportunity or right to use something or to see somebody/something (i.e. access to information/services/resources)".
According to Purdue Online Writing Lag (OWL), "an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources. Depending on your project or the assignment, your annotations may do one or more of the following: Summarize, Assess, or Reflect."
A summary and/or evaluation.
According to the American Psychological Association, "APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States."
APA Style provides a foundation for effective scholarly communication because it helps writers present their ideas in a clear, precise, and inclusive manner. At DU, students, faculty and staff are required to follow APA 7th edition guidelines when formatting assignments. See our APA 7th Ed. Help Guide for examples on in-text citations, paper templates, and more!
A written work published in a print or electronic medium, for the propagation of news, research results, academic analysis or debate.
The DU Library has many ways for users to contact the library. Ask-a-Librarian is a chat service where you can chat, email, or text with a librarian 24/7.
According to Trends Micro, "attachments are files embedded within online communication channels such as emails, instant messages, or social networks. File attachments can come in any form, such as images, documents, or programs. A paper clip image often symbolize the presence of attachments in messages."
Audiovisul involves the use of pictures and sounds (i.e. powerpoint presentation, movie, film), and/or the equipment to view them.
Authentication is the process of showing proof of identification in order to access secure computer links and/or documents. Make sure to learn more about DU's authentication process using MFA Enrollment.
Authors are described as writers of a book, article, or report.
A bibliography is a list of sources (books, journals, Web sites, periodicals, etc.) one has used for researching a topic. Bibliographies are sometimes called "References" or "Works Cited" depending on the style format you are using. A bibliography usually just includes the bibliographic information (i.e., the author, title, publisher, etc.).
A book is described as a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers.
The Boolean operators used by the DU library catalog and most databases are AND, OR, and NOT. Using these words, you can combine search terms in order to get better search results. For example, you could search caffeine AND addiction if you were interested in researching the addictive qualities of caffeine.
A browser, often referred to a web browser, is a computer program with a graphical user interface for displaying and navigating between web pages. In other words, a browser is an application for accessing websites and the Internet.
The library catalog, which can be accessed on the library homepage, is your go-to spot for finding print and other physical resources at the library, although you can also find many online resources using the library catalog as well. You can conduct a simple search from the library homepage, or select Advanced Search to search for items by title, author, subject, ISBN, or ISSN.
"The ability to communicate with others, computer to computer, via typed messages." (Often referred to as Library Chat. See Ask-a-Librarian)
"A reference to a book, magazine or journal article, or other work containing all the information necessary to identify and locate that work. A citation to a book thus includes its author's name, title, publisher and place of publication, and date of publication."
According to the US Copyright Office, "Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression."
Databases are organized collections of materials (like articles, book chapters, books, conference proceedings, images, datasets) that can be searched to locate relevant resources for your research and information needs. Some databases are interdisciplinary, which means they contain resources related to many subjects and disciplines, while others are subject-specific, which means they hold resources related to a specific field of study.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, digital is, "characterized by electronic and especially computerized technology."
According to the American Psychological Association, "Disinformation is false information which is deliberately intended to mislead—intentionally misstating the facts."
An extended written treatment of a subject (like a book) submitted by a graduate student as a requirement for a doctorate.
Acronym for Digital Object Identifier. It is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by the publisher to a digital object.
1. To transfer information from a computer to a program or storage device to be viewed at a later date. 2. To transfer information from one computer to another computer using a modem.
An electronic version of a book that can be read on a computer or mobile device.
A person or group responsible for compiling the writings of others into a single information source. Looking for information under the editor's name is one option in searching.
A work containing information on all branches of knowledge or treating comprehensively a particular branch of knowledge (such as history or chemistry). Often has entries or articles arranged alphabetically.
According to the Copyright Alliance, "Fair use is an affirmative defense that can be raised in response to claims by a copyright owner that a person is infringing a copyright. Fair use permits a party to use a copyrighted work without the copyright owner’s permission for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research."
According to ECPI University Libraries, "Full-text means you can read the entire article or book."
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a GIF is described as, "a type of computer file that contains a still or moving image. GIF is the abbreviation for Graphic Interchange Format."
According to Britannica, a glossary is defined as, "1: a list that gives definitions of the hard or unusual words found in a book; 2: a dictionary of the special terms in a particular field or job".
According to w3schools, "HTML is the standard markup language for creating Web pages."
According to Britannica, HTTP (also known as HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the, "standard application-level protocol used for exchanging files on the World Wide Web."
An image or a portion of text which a Web user can click to jump to another document or page on the Web. Textual hyperlinks are often underlined and appear as a different color than the majority of the text on a Web page.
A small symbol on a computer screen that represents a computer operation or data file.
1. A list of names or topics—usually found at the end of a publication—that directs you to the pages where those names or topics are discussed within the publication. 2. A printed or electronic publication that provides references to periodical articles or books by their subject, author, or other search terms.
According to the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, "information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning."
An Internet-based service allowing real-time, text communication between two or more users. Instant messaging is also known as chat, especially when more than two people are communicating.
As defined by the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States, "Interlibrary loan is the process by which a library requests material from, or supplies material to, another library. ... The purpose of interlibrary loan as defined by this code is to obtain, upon request of a library user, material not available in the user's local library." See more on DU's Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service.
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, internet is described as, "an international computer network connecting other networks and computers that allows people to share information around the world."
According to Christine Grady (2015), "Institutional review boards (IRBs) or research ethics committees provide a core protection for human research participants through advance and periodic independent review of the ethical acceptability of proposals for human research."
According to Britannica, "A JPEG (joint photographic experts group), a digital file format that supports millions of different colour options, is often used to transmit better-quality images, such as digital photographs, at the cost of greater size."
A publication, issued on a regular basis, which contains scholarly research published as articles, papers, research reports, or technical reports.
A significant or memorable word or term in the title, abstract, or text of an information resource that indicates its subject and is often used as a search term.
Most libguides are subject research guides that provide you with resources and tips for conducting research as a DU student. However, some libguides provide general research help or explain library services (like the Interlibrary Loan guide linked above). All libguides are created by DU librarians and library staff to help you navigate the library and its resources. You can find a full list of DU libguides here.
Options used in searching that restrict your results to only information resources meeting certain other, non-subject-related, criteria. Limiting options vary by database, but common options include limiting results to materials available full-text in the database, to scholarly publications, to materials written in a particular language, to materials available in a particular location, or to materials published at a specific time.
See Hyperlink.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), "A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis)."
A publication, issued on a regular basis, containing popular articles, written and illustrated in a less technical manner than the articles found in a journal.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, a meme is described as, "1. an idea, image, video, etc. that is spread very quickly on the internet; 2. a cultural feature or a type of behavior that is passed from one generation to another, without the influence of genes".
According to the American Psychological Association, "Misinformation is false or inaccurate information—getting the facts wrong."
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a module is described as, "one of the units that together make a complete course, taught especially at a college or university."
Any information resource that presents information using more than one media (print, picture, audio, or video).
A publication containing information about varied topics that are pertinent to general information, a geographic area, or a specific subject matter (i.e. business, culture, education). Often published daily.
According to UNESCO, OER is described as, "learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under copyright that have been released under an open license, that permit no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others."
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, paraphrase is defined as, "a statement that expresses something that somebody has written or said using different words, especially in order to make it easier to understand."
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, paywall is defined as, "a system that prevents Internet users from accessing certain Web content without a paid subscription."
A file format developed by Adobe Acrobat® that allows files to be transmitted from one computer to another while retaining their original appearance both on-screen and when printed. An acronym for Portable Document Format.
Peer review is a process by which editors have experts in a field review books or articles submitted for publication by the experts’ peers. Peer review helps to ensure the quality of an information source. A peer-reviewed journal is also called a refereed journal or scholarly journal.
A link that will return you to the same page every time you click the link.
Using the words or ideas of others without acknowledging the original source.
An original record of events, such as a diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation.
The written symbols of a language as portrayed on paper. Information sources may be either print or electronic.
Abbreviation for Quick Response code. A two-dimensional bar code that is made of small squares in a unique pattern. QR codes allow users to connect to additional resources through mobile devices.
According to the National University, "Qualitative research aims to gain insights into phenomena, groups, or experiences that cannot be objectively measured or quantified using mathematics."
According to the National University, "quantitative research provides precise causal explanations that can be measured and communicated mathematically."
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, a quotation is described as, "a group of words or a short piece of writing taken from a book, play, speech, etc. and repeated because it is interesting or useful."
1. A service that helps people find needed information. 2. Sometimes "reference" refers to reference collections, such as encyclopedias, indexes, handbooks, directories, etc.
The ability to log onto (or access) networked computer resources from a distant location. Remote access makes available library databases to students researching from home, office, or other locations outside the library. See also Authentication.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, research is defined as, "a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding."
See Peer Review.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a search engine is described as, "1. computer software used to search data (such as text or a database) for specified information; 2. a site on the World Wide Web that uses such software to locate key words in other sites."
Words entered into the search box of a database or search engine when looking for information. Words relating to an information source's author, editor, title, subject heading or keyword serve as search terms. Search terms can be combined by using Boolean operators and can also be used with limits/limiters.
Materials such as books and journal articles that analyze primary sources. Secondary sources usually provide evaluation or interpretation of data or evidence found in original research or documents such as historical manuscripts or memoirs.
The programs installed on and used by the components of a computer system (or, hardware).
According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL), a style guide is described as, "a wide range of rules and guidelines for works in their respective fields, from grammar and language use to the font and size of headings in a work."
Descriptions of an information source’s content assigned to make finding information easier.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a thesaurus is defined as a, "type of dictionary in which words with similar meanings are arranged in groups."
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, a thesis is a, "1. long piece of writing completed by a student as part of a university degree, based on their own research; 2. a statement or an opinion that is discussed in a logical way and presented with evidence in order to prove that it is true."
According to Britannica, a thumb drive (often referred to as a USB Flash Drive) is described as a, "small portable data storage device that uses flash memory and has an integrated universal serial bus (USB) interface."
The name of a book, article, or other information source.
According to Collins Dictionary, a topic is described as, "a particular subject that you write about or discuss."
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a tutorial is defined as, "a document or website on a computer that shows you how to use a product in a series of easy stages"
According to Collins Dictionary, tutoring is reffered to, "1. the act of teaching or instructing; 2. remedial or additional teaching, designed to help people who need extra help with their studies."
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, to unzip means to, "return a computer file to its original size after it has been zipped (= reduced in size so that it can be easily sent or stored)."
To transfer information from a computer system or a personal computer to another computer system or a larger computer system.
The unique address for a Web page which is used in citing it. A URL consists of the access protocol (http), the domain name (www.nmsu.edu), and often the path to a file or resource residing on that server.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a USB is defined as, "the system for connecting electronic equipment to devices such as computers, smartphones, etc. and moving data between them, or the part of a device or connecting part on a cable that allows you to attach a piece of equipment".
A number or name unique to a particular user of computerized resources. A user ID must often be entered in order to access library resources remotely.
According to Britannica, wiki is defined as a, "website that can be modified or contributed to by users."
The name given to any electronic device that sends messages through space via electric or electromagnetic waves instead of via power cords.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, world wide web is described as, "part of the Internet accessed through a graphical user interface and containing documents often connected by hyperlinks"
Devices used in the creation of compressed (or “zipped”) electronic information.