Introduction to Library Research

Glossary Of Library and Research Terms

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Note: The words that appear in bold in the text of the definitions are also explained in this glossary.

Natural Language

A search method which uses everyday language. It allows the user to ask a question using a phrase or complete sentence. Ask.com (www.ask.com) is an example of a search engine that uses natural language. See also: Keyword searching.

Nesting

A further refinement of Boolean searching that allows the user to put parenthesis around words and logical operators (i.e. and, or, not) so that the operation in parenthesis is performed first. For instance in the following search statement the word teen or adolescent must appear with the words drinking and driving: drinking and driving and (teen or adolescent).

Newspaper

A periodical usually published daily, weekly or biweekly (every 2 weeks), with a focus on news and up-to-date information. Newspapers often contain information of local interest. Specialized newspapers cover recent events and trends in fields such as law, entertainment or business (i.e The Wall Street Journal).

A periodical that is usually published in sheet format (usually 8 ½ by 11) and consists of a single page or just a few pages. It is usually intended to keep members of an organization or specialized group informed on current activities or events.

“Not” Search

A form of Boolean searching which allows certain words to be excluded from a search by placing the word “not” or a minus sign (-) before the word to be eliminated. This makes the search more relevant. It can be useful when a single word has several meanings, for instance the search “viruses not computer” would eliminate unwanted results when searching for viral diseases. See also: Boolean searching and Logical operators.

Non-fiction

Books which contain factual information. The text of the book is based on actual events or people. It is the opposite of Fiction.

“Or” Search

In Boolean searching, the logical operator “or” is used to broaden a search. When two words or phrases are connected by an “or” either term may appear in the results, but both terms need not appear. For instance, the search “colleges or universities” will yield results which include either or both of these words. This search is particularly useful for keywords which have similar meanings, i.e. “teens or adolescents,” “cars or automobiles,” etc.