Library Glossary

D-F

G-I

A-C

Abstract

A brief summary of a book, article, or other work, often included in databases to help users decide if the full item is relevant.

Annotation

A note or comment added to a text to provide explanation or additional information—often seen in bibliographies or citations.

Annotated Bibliography

A list of sources with a summary and evaluation for each entry, used to inform or reflect on research's usefulness or quality.

Article

A written piece found in publications such as journals, magazines, or newspapers. Articles can vary widely in purpose and quality—some are scholarly, written by experts and peer-reviewed, while others may be popular or informative, intended for general audiences. The type of publication an article appears in often determines whether it is considered academic or not.

Attribution

The act of giving credit to the original creator of an idea, work, or piece of information. Attribution is commonly used in informal contexts—like presentations, social media, or creative works—where acknowledging the source is important, but a formal citation may not be required.

While attribution acknowledges the source, it does not follow a specific format like a citation, which is a formal reference used in academic writing.

See also: Citation

Authority

The level of expertise, credibility, or reliability a source or author has on a given topic. In research, determining authority involves evaluating the author's qualifications, the publication source, and the evidence provided. Scholarly sources typically have higher authority because they are written by experts and reviewed by peers.

Bibliographic Record

The information about a library item (e.g., author, title, subject, publication date) stored in a catalog to help users find and access it.

Bibliography

A list of sources (books, articles, websites, etc.) used or consulted in the research process. Bibliographies may appear at the end of academic papers or be compiled as standalone reference tools.

Boolean Operators

Words (AND, OR, NOT) used to combine or exclude keywords in search queries to refine and control search results.

• AND: concept one AND concept two (results include both concepts)

• OR: concept one OR concept two (results include either concept)

• NOT: concept one NOT concept two (results include the first concept but not the second)

For more information see: Guide to Searching: Boolean Searching

J-L

Journal

also known as an academic journal, a scholarly journal, or a periodical. A collection of scholarly and/or peer-reviewed articles written by experts in a specific field.