VOCABULARY

Sometimes in a new situation things can be confusing.  Here are some of the terms often heard when doing library or class work.

Abstract – A brief summary of a book or item. It may be just a couple of sentences or a short paragraph. It is used to summarize the contents, view, and scope of a work. 

Annotated Bibliography - a list of sources with all the bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, etc.) but also a few sentences telling about the work, how it relates to the subject of the bibliography, and how it might help the student support their thesis. Useful if doing a major research project.

APA (American Psychological Association) - manual of style for people in the professions of psychology, sociology, and related fields.

Bibliography- a list of all sources used in the creation of a written paper or presentation. Follows MLA, APA, Turabian formats for consistency. The MLA is the standard for all undergraduate work at SCU. Turabian is the selection for the Master of Ministry program.

Bibliographic citation – a special way to credit the originator of a quote, fact, bit of research or an idea, as you are writing the paper. A number may be used to note the citation. Or it may be as a parenthetical citation (Hudson, 45). It may be as a footnote or as an endnote (at the end of the paper). Check with your instructor.

Boolean Operators – words “AND”, “OR” and “NOT” can be used in searching many websites and databases. These words, operators, broaden or narrow your search results in programs utilizing them.

Call Numbers- Basically the address for an item within the library collection. Each item has its own (or nearly individual location). SCU, like many academic libraries using the Library of Congress classification system (LOC). Call numbers are A-Z and then subdivided into numbers and author codes (letter and numbers) and date of publication.

Example:
BX
8476
W567
2001

Book Drop (sometimes called Returns) – Located in the library by the lab and the circulation is the “Book Drop”. All items – print and non-print – are returned into this slot.

Checkout/Circulation- Once you have located a book or resource this is the area where you ‘checkout’ to take it with you (if it can be checked out – see Reference below). The library items ‘circulate’ in and out in this location.
Citation (see Bibliographic above).

Course Reserves- An instructor may wish for certain books to be available to the students in a particular class and will request they be placed on “Course Reserve”. These are placed in a special place and are identified as “Course Reserves.” These items do not leave the library while on reserve so all students have equal access.

Database – An electronic collection of organized resources, indexed and retrievable only via a computer (CD-Rom) or via online access to the Internet (with a password).

Holds- A request to set aside a title currently in the library for the purpose of picking it up within a day or two. Such items are placed in the ‘Holds’ bin at circulation with customer name and date item will be returned to the shelf if not picked up.

Journal- A professional or academic publication produced periodically usually identified by footnotes, peer reviewing, bibliographies and more academic or professional content.

Internet Resource – A resource that exists in no other form than as a webpage, database, or file accessible online. Note “Ebscohost” is not an Internet resource since it contains periodicals that are delivered in print form as well and it is like the choice of picking up a magazine at the new stand or having it delivered to your home.

MLA (Modern Language Association) - Standard style used in formatting bibliographies, papers, and foot/end notes in formal writing (such as academic papers). Designated the manual of style for SCU undergraduate students.

Magazine – A generic name for a periodic publication that is usually for more popular reading purposes and lacks footnotes or indexing.

Monograph - A short work (usually a book) on a single subject with footnotes, endnotes, and other more academic elements.

Full Text – Some databases (such as Ebscohost) deliver articles as ‘full text’ or as an ‘abstract.’ Full text it the typed total article or a .pdf of the article as it appeared in the publication. Due to copyright some publications will only allow the abstract to appear.

Peer Reviewed- Academic or professional journals send submitted articles to a panel of experts in the field of the article and it is reviewed for accuracy and professional quality. Only after it is positively peer reviewed is the article published.

Periodical – any publication produced at regular intervals (newspapers, journals, etc.).

 
Reference Books – A collection of books and resources that do not circulate or leave the library. They stay in place so that all have equal access to them. They are often the more costly resources and thus the library saves the customer the cost of replacing a $300 book by not letting them checkout.

Remote Access- Access to electronic resources via the Internet allowing students at some distance to enjoy use of the subscription databases the same way on-campus students do.

Turabian (Based on the Chicago Manual of Style) - a special formating style preferred by those studying religion and theology. Used by students in the Master of Ministry program at SCU.