APPENDIX D

GLOSSARY OF RESEARCH TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

 

A

Abridgment--a shortened version of the author's original work

 

Acknowledge--to give credit to another person's words, ideas, or opinions in the form of a note and/or bibliographic citation

 

Almanac--annual publication containing information and statistics on major current and historical events

 

Annotated bibliography--a bibliography with critical and/or explanatory notes about each source

 

Analysis--a breaking up of a whole into its parts to examine them (often in a critical manner)

 

Appendix--a section containing material not included in the body but which is relevant to the topic (always titled with a letter as in Appendix A)

 

Atlas--a collection of maps; some atlases also give historical changes and land-related statistics

 

Authority--a generally accepted source of expert information

 

Autobiography--a person's life story written by himself or herself

B

Bibliography (bib., bibliog.)--a list of books, articles, and other material used in a work or compiled about a topic

 

Biography--a written account of a person's life

 

Body (of a paper)--refers to the paragraphs after the introduction and before the conclusion; contains the main points, ideas, and arguments of the author

 

Brackets--the punctuation marks [ ] used only within a quoted passage to enclose additions (which explain a work or give information to the reader) in your own words; NOT the same as parentheses

C

C or c --copyright, date of publication usually follows

 

c. or ca.--circa, a Latin term meaning "about," used with approximate dates

 

Call number--the classification number located in a book's record on the online catalog screen and the book's lower spine

 

CD-ROM--Compact Disc Read Only Memory--a disc containing digital and/or graphic data read by a laser beam

 

Cite, Citing, Citation--to quote as an authority or example

 

Classify, Classification--to arrange in classes or groups according to a system

 

comp.--compiled by or compiler, a person who puts together a work composed of other individual works

 

Compare, Contrast--to compare is to examine for similarities; to contrast is to examine for differences. Comparing and contrasting are often used together as a method of evaluation.

 

Cross Reference--words or symbols that refer the reader to other places where additional information may be found

D

Descriptors--key words used in indexes; see key words

 

Dewey Decimal Classification System--a method of cataloging books and other instructional materials into ten related groups; used in most school libraries

 

Document--to acknowledge the sources of an idea or fact with a footnote, endnote, or parenthetical reference

E

ed. or eds.--edited by or editors(s), one who prepares something for publication by selecting, revising, etc.

 

Edition--the total number of copies of a work printed from a single set of type. Each edition is printed at a different time and is given a distinct edition number.

 

Editorial--an article expressing an opinion

 

e.g.--for example, from the Latin exempli gratia; used to indicate that an example follows

 

Ellipsis--three periods with a space before, after, and between them ( . . . ) that indicated an omission in quoted material

 

Endnotes--documentation located at the end of a paper

 

et. al.--and others, from the Latin et alii; always abbreviate

 

etc.--and so forth, from the Latin et cetera; avoid use

F

f., ff.--following page(s)

 

Footnote--used to describe citation placed at the bottom of a page. Use either parenthetical references, endnotes, or footnotes as prescribed by your teacher.

G

Glossary--a dictionary section, usually at the end of a book, in which technical or difficult words or terms are explained

 

General Article--a relatively short article that gives a broad overview of a subject, usually located in encyclopedias or textbooks

H,I

ibid.--in the same place, from the Latin ibidem; no longer recommended for use

 

i.e.--that is, from the Latin id est

 

In-text documentation--see parenthetical reference

J,K,L

Key Words--terms related to your topic, usually naming important places, people, and subjects

 

l., ll.--line(s)

 

Library of Congress classification system--a method of cataloging books and instructional materials into twenty-one main classes by a system of letters and numbers; used primarily in college and other large libraries

M

Microform--photographic reductions of pages of printed matter; on film cards called microfiche or on rolls of film called microfilm

 

Monograph--a written account of a single subject in one volume

N

n.d.--no date of publication given

 

n.p.--no publisher given; no place of publication given

 

N.pag.--no paging given in source

O

Online Data Base--computer access through telecommunications to holdings of academic and public libraries, specialized indexes, and information services

 

OPAC--Online Public Access Catalog--an electronic index to all library media materials held by a library or a network of libraries

 

Outline--a general plan of a work; an organization tool that encourages the writer to determine the main points of the presentation and the divisions under those points; can take a number of forms including topic, sentence, phrase, word, and preliminary

P

p., pp.--page, pages; not pg.

 

Paraphrase--to put another idea, opinion, or argument into your own words

 

Parentheses--the punctuation marks ( ) used to enclose your own explanatory materials in a phrase or sentence of your own; use sparingly

 

Parenthetical reference--documentation located within the text of a research paper; currently the favored method for most research papers

 

Periodicals--publications such as magazines, journals, or newspapers published at regular intervals

 

Plagiarism--the stealing of another's style, ideas, or phrasing; see page 16-17

 

Preliminary Bibliography--(sometimes called a working bibliography) a list of sources containing the needed information about materials available on a topic; used to see scope of sources and to help narrow the thesis

 

Preliminary Outline--the initial outline constructed in order to direct the research

 

Pseudonym--fictitious name used by an author

 

Primary Source--the work, manuscript, journal, government document as originally written; see Appendix A; page 22

 

prod.--produced by, producer

Q,R

Readers' Guide-- an index to the contents of more than 150 magazines.

 

Reference book or Reference--any source being read for information; also may be a special section in the library where books such as almanacs, encyclopedias, and atlases are shelved

 

Rough draft--the first and any other writing before the paper is put into final form; rough drafts often require several revisions

 

Roman Numerals--numbering system used in outlines, for preliminary pages in books, sometimes in volume numbers (I=1, II=2, III=3, IV=4, V=5, VI=6, VII=7, VIII=8, IX=9, X=10, L=50, C=100)

 

Rpt.--reprint, reprinted by

S

Scan--a quick reading of material in order to evaluate it

 

Secondary Source--a critical or historical work based on primary source(s)

Sears List of Subject Headings--list of subject headings with valid subject headings indicate in bold type. It is a good source for identifying key words for searching the OPAC and other indexes.

 

Series--thematically connected multivolume works

 

SIRS--Social Issues Resources Series--current, reprinted articles on social, scientific and historical topics

 

Subject Headings--subjects assigned to a particular book, highlighted in the online catalog bibliographic record; use for subject searches in the OPAC by typing s= (subject)

T

Thesis--the statement that explains the opinion or idea the writer wishes to support

 

Title Page --cover sheet for a research paper, which should include the title, author, course name, teacher, and the date

 

tr., tran.--translator, translation, or translated by

U,V,W,X,Y,Z

vol., vols.--volume(s), numbers may be written in Arabic or Roman numerals

Working Bibliography--(sometimes called a preliminary bibliography) a list of sources containing the needed information about materials used in research; used to see scope of sources and to help narrow the thesisWorking Outline--the outline constructed in order to direct the research

Works in Progress--works continued with volumes published at intervals; usually have cumulative indexes