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. 

PAC see Public Access Catalog 

Pagination

The page range for information in a book or for a journal article is referred to as pagination.  For instance, if an article in a journal is on pages 213 through 219, the pagination would be 213-219.  Some scholarly journals use continuous pagination, which means that the issues for an entire year (a volume) use one page range. If the first issue ends on page 196, the second issue of the year will begin with page 197.

Pamphlet

A printed publication, under 48 pages, with a paper cover. This printing method is inexpensive and often used for material intended to last for just a short period of time.

Parenthetical citation

A parenthetical or “in text” citation in a research paper, book, etc. usually consists of the last name of the author(s) or editor(s) and page number(s) for a quoted or paraphrased passage.  It refers the reader from the text to the complete citation for the source in the “Works Cited”  or “References” list.  In MLA citation format, a parenthetical reference is usually found at the end of the quoted or paraphrased text in parenthesis, for example: (Adams 33).  For additional information on parenthetical references see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

PDF File (Portable Document Format)

This is a method of storing online documents so that all of the original formatting is retained.  The article or document will be displayed on the screen just as it was originally published.   This is accomplished through the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader software.  Many documents on the Internet as well as in databases such as Ebscohost are available as PDF files.

Peer Reviewed

In scholarly journals, articles must be submitted for evaluation by the editor and a subject specialist or an editorial panel before they are selected for publication. This helps insure that the article will contribute to the advancement of scholarship in a particular field.  Refereed is another term that is frequently used to mean peer reviewed. 

Periodical

A publication which is intended to be issued on an on-going basis on a regular schedule.  Periodical is the umbrella name for this category of publication which includes: magazines, newspapers, newsletters, journals, scholarly journals, and trade journals. 

Periodical holdings see Holdings 

Periodical Index

A subject list of articles in magazines, journals, and/or newspapers.  Periodical indexes can be found in print, cd-rom, and web format.  In addition to subject access, these indexes may locate citations to articles by author, title, keyword, journal or other access points.  Gale Expanded Academic and EbscoHost are general, web-based indexes to magazines and journals on a broad range of topics, whereas Art Index and Social Sciences Index are specialized, subject indexes in print format. 

Phrase searching

Many search engines and databases allow the user to look for an exact phrase or several words together in exact order.  Quotation marks are usually placed around the words to indicate a specific word order.  This search method often gives more precise results.  “AMA certified doctor” would be an example of a phrase search.  See also: Keyword searching. 

Plagiarism

Copying, paraphrasing, or using the thoughts of an author or other individual without giving them credit or citing a source.  Attempts to pass off the work of someone else as one’s own are penalized at all colleges and universities, including Bakersfield College where a plagiarized assignment may be given a failing grade.  See also: Copyright, Fair use and Public domain. 

Primary sources

The original documents or other contemporary source materials that relate to a research topic. Primary sources consist of magazines and newspaper articles, photographs, diaries, letters, eyewitness accounts, and any other first-hand accounts from the time period.  See also Secondary sources. 

Proximity search (near search)

Some search engines and other databases with keyword searching allow the user to specify that two search terms must appear within a certain number of words of each other.  Here is a proximity search in Gale Expanded Academic: children n5 violence.  This will find any records in which the words children and violence fall within five words or less of one another in either direction.       

Public Access Catalog (PAC)

An electronic database that allows the user to determine what books and other materials a library owns and where they are located.  Before libraries were automated, the card catalog provided this access.  In some libraries the PAC (public access catalog) is called the OPAC (online public access catalog). 

Public domain

Any books or other intellectual property that is no longer protected by copyright or was never protected by copyright can be published, excerpted, etc. without violating the law.  These materials are considered public domain.  Establishing if an item is in public domain can be a lengthy process, requiring expert legal advice. See also: copyright and fair-use.

Qualifying sources

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Created by:  Nancy Guidry nguidry@bc.cc.ca.us

Updated: 08/30/2011