Topics & Assignments: Definitions

Abstract: short summaries of an article.

Archive: a collection of preserved material, often historical.

Blog: web articles around a topic posted regularly.

Boolean: a search method that relies on operators for how to combine terms, primarily AND, OR, and NOT.

Browser :software that allows surfing the web, like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

Citations :formal notes about where information came from.

Commentary : usually about the Bible, a chapter by chapter or verse by verse analysis of a text.

Conference Papers : research articles presented at a conference rather than published in a journal. The full text may not be available.

Controlled Vocabulary :a selected list of words to use as subject descriptions; chooses one term over synonyms.

Database :an organized collection of sources.

Database Record :the information about a source in the database. Includes title, author, date, subjects, where it came from, and often an abstract.

Dissertation :the culminating paper of a doctoral degree.

Document Type : what kind of document something is, such as Word file or PDF.

DOI: a unique number assigned to an article or book.

Empirical: includes original research.

Export: transfer information or files from one software to another.

Field: a section of a record, such as title or author.

Full-Text: the entire article is in this database, rather than just the abstract.

HTML : the standard format of webpages which the browser translates into what you see.

HTTP: the basic unsecure web format.

HTTPS : secure web format.

Hyperlink : a clickable bit of text that directs a computer to a webpage.

Instrument: data tools such as tests, questionnaires, or surveys used to measure or collect data in a research study.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) : libraries borrowing items from each other for their users.

ISBN : a unique number used to ID books

ISSN : a unique number used to ID journals & magazines.

Issue Number : IDs the issue of a journal or magazine. Not all journals or magazines all have them.

Journal : a collection of articles published on a regular basis. Similar to a magazine but with fewer pictures and more citations.

Journal Title : the name of the Journal, not the article in it.

Keyword : a word used to search. Keywords describe the topic.

Limiter : a rule for a database to match against, such as a date range.

Literature Review : a comprehensive look at the existing research on a specific issue.

Literature Search : a formal search of published research on a topic.

LopeCat : GCU Library's book catalog, which lists all print and ebooks owned by the library.

LopeSearch : a database search that searches across multiple databases at once.

Mixed-methods : Research studies that combine qualitative and quantitative measures.

Monograph : a scholarly book on a single subject usually by one or two authors.

Multidisciplinary : covers multiple subject areas.

Natural Language Search : searches that can accept full sentences or questions as search terms and usually search full text. i.e. Google.

PDF : a popular document file type that browsers and the Adobe Acrobat reader can open.

Peer Review : the process by which scholarly articles are examined by fellow experts before publication.

Periodical : a publication that comes out on a regular basis, like a magazine or newspaper.

Permalink : a stable website address for a page, usually in a database.

Primary Sources : original, first hand accounts like original research, interviews, letters, and documents.

Qualitative : research that relies on humans reporting thoughts, opinions, or feelings.

Quantitative : research that relies on measurable data.

Research Type : the method used to gather data and draw conclusions from it.

Reserve : books the Library sets aside for a course. These have shorter check out times so more students can use them.

Scholarly Resources : sources by experts intended for an academic audience.

Search Alerts : a database option that sends an email to you when new articles are added that match a saved search. 

Secondary Sources : sources written using primary sources.

Source : anything you might draw information from, such as an article, website, or book.

Style Manual : a set of rules for formatting writing, particularly citations.

Subject Term : what a source is mainly about. Unlike keywords, subject words are managed so the same word is always used for a concept.

Theses : the culminating paper for a master's degree.

Tipasa : the interlibrary loan system used at GCU.

URL : the address that sends a browser to a website or digital resource.

Volume : a book in a set or series or a set of periodical issues.

White Paper : a report or guide from a company or organization that informs about a complex or debatable issue. Includes the issuing body's position.