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Glossary of Helpful Terms

Abstract.  An abstract is a summary of an article or book, accompanied by a bibliographical reference to the original work.  Abstract can save the user time because an evaluation can be immediate as to the likelihood of the item being useful.  In some cases, abstracts can replace full-text articles.  

Citation.  Written information about an item (book, article, etc.) which is needed to identify it.  This usually includes author, title, date, journal or book title, and volume, issue, and page numbers. 

Controlled vocabulary.  Subject terms under which other equivalent, synonymous, and/or related terms are grouped.  Controlled vocabulary is also often assigned irregardless of the presence of certain keywords or phrases, so that information without specific keywords (but which matches your needs) can still be retrieved.  These are commonly called “descriptors.”

Database.  An organized collection of computer records, standardized in format and content, that is stored in a variety of computer-readable modes, which can be searched for specific information or records by techniques specific to that mode. 

Descriptor.  In electronic indexes/databases, the subject headings are generally called descriptors.  They would be chosen from an index’s thesaurus to describe the subject coverage of a particular cited work. 

Holdings.  The terminology used to indicate the specific volumes and issues of serial titles, which are held by a particular library. 

Index.  An index is a systematic guide to the contents of a file, document, or group of documents in an arrangement, which represents the contents, references, page numbers, etc., for accessing the contents that file, document, or group of documents.

 General Index.  General indexes cover, or attempt to cover, the widest range of human inquiry, from the arts and humanities to the pure and applied sciences.  All subjects are covered in a broad manner, and are useful for searching for basic material on a given topic and those beginning a research project.  These include coverage of primarily general-interest periodicals, such as weekly news magazines, as well as scholarly journals, which are basic in any particular field.

Subject Index.  Subject indexes cover limited and specialized areas of subject matter, usually being divided by disciplines (Language and Literature, Psychology, Medicine, etc.) or disciplinary areas (Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, etc.).

Citation Index.  Citation indexes are used to find journal articles, and then determine where material has been cited and whether many writers in a field cite the work.  Many scholars use this type to determine whether or not a particular work has credibility.   

Information literacy.  A set of learning skills which enable you to effectively cope with massive amounts of information, from a variety of media formats (books, journals, audiovisual sources, library databases, the Web, etc.)  These skills include the ability to understand how to find the information you want and how to determine the 'best' information for your needs.

Thesaurus.  A compilation of terms giving synonyms and/or antonyms for each term.  In database searching, a thesaurus provides a standardized and controlled vocabulary for information retrieval.