Library

Research Terms

Abstract	An abstract is a short summary of a document.  Abstracts are useful because they allow you to quickly determine if a document fits your topic.
Citation	The citation provides the bibliographic information for a source. It lets the reader know who is responsible for creating a source you reference in your project, when it was created, and gives the reader all the information needed to retrieve that source for further examination.
Copyright	This refers to the legal right of the copyright owner to determine how a work may be copied, distributed, displayed, performed, etc. The copyright owner is often the author/creator of the work.
Database	An organized collection of stored data which is usually searchable by keywords, subject, topic, language, and/or date. The library subscribes to a range of databases that relate directly to courses offered at DU.
DOI	DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. A DOI is a string of letters and numbers used to identify an electronic document.  While the web address (URL) where a work is located may change, the DOI remains the same.
Fair Use	Under certain conditions, a section of a work can be reproduced without asking permission from the copyright owner. These conditions include “criticism or review or for reporting current events or for purposes of research or private study”. However, you must always cite the source!
Full-Text	This means the whole document is available.
Journal	A publication, produced periodically on a schedule, that provides research articles in a particular field of study. Journal articles report on primary research and offer insight and evaluation of the results.
Key Word Search	A key word search looks for a particular word or words within a document.  The advantage of key word searching is that it is quick.  The disadvantage is it often produces results unrelated to your topic, and misses those that use a different term.
OER	“Open Educational Resources” are freely accessible, openly licensed text, media, and other digital assets that may be useful in your research. These resources may or may not be scholarly sources.
Peer Reviewed & Refereed	These terms are often used interchangeably.  Peer reviewed documents have been examined by a panel of experts.  Examples of journals that publish peer reviewed articles include Harvard Law Review and Journal of the American Medical Association. Some instructors may require that you use only peer reviewed sources for your papers.
Subject Search	Libraries and databases categorize items by subject. By searching by subject, you get results that are closely related and it is more efficient than keyword searching.
URL	URL stands Uniform Resource Locator. This is the address of a document on the internet.
Volume and Issue Number	Journals and magazines often number their publications using volume and issue numbers. The volume number includes all issues published within a specific time period (usually a year), and the issues are numbered within the volume. For example, the January 10, 2011 issue of Time is volume 177, issue 1.

Subject VS. Keywords

The two most common types of searches are keyword and subject. 

Keyword: When you do a keyword search, you are searching for a word or words anywhere in a record.  This is similar to searching Google.

Subject: Catalogs and databases organize information according to subject.  Results of a subject search will have a certain amount of topic similarity.  Different databases/catalogs may use different subjects.

Keyword	Subject
Uses natural language – how we speak. Example: “Cap and Trade” or “high stakes testing”	Uses a “controlled vocabulary”- information is organized in a very formal way. Example: emissions trading or educational evaluation.
Very flexible. Terms can be combined or alternate terms used. Example: swine flu, swine influenza, H1N1	Not as flexible. You must know which subject terms the database or catalog uses.
Often retrieve thousands of results, many of which may have little to do with your intended topic.	Results are usually more relevant to your topic.
Can search quickly.	Searches take more time – you must first find your subject term and then search.

As a rule of thumb, keyword searches are quicker, but subject searches produce better results.

Primary or Secondary, and Tertiary Sources

Primary sources are original materials or evidence directly related to the topic being studied. They are created by witnesses or first-hand observers of the events. Examples include diaries, photographs, and official documents.

Secondary sources analyze, interpret, or summarize primary sources. These include textbooks, articles, and reviews.

Tertiary sources compile and summarize primary and secondary sources. Examples include encyclopedias, databases, and bibliographies.