Buzz Words To Use In The Library

Terms:

Periodical or serial--newspapers, magazine, journals--anything published monthly, weekly, daily, quarterly, etc.

Citation--the who (author), what (title of article), where (periodical title), and when (date, volume, page) of the articles you use for a research paper. You need this information to compile your list of references.

Index--use these to find information in periodical articles on your topic.
Indexes arrange citations to periodicals by subject headings or key words:

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Types of searching:

Subject Searching
Example: Passive Smoking--Health aspects
  • Subject headings are not your natural language
  • Provides subdivisions to help focus a large topic
  • Provides related terms to help focus, or if needed, expand a topic
 
Keyword Searching
Example: Secondhand Smoke
  • Can use everyday language
  • User combines main idea with 2nd or 3rd terms using "and," "or," "not" to focus
  • Can search for President Clinton not Monica Lewinsky"

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Types of indexes:
Print Indexes CD-ROM Indexes Internet Indexes*
  • Searches by subjects
  • 6 months lag time
  • Each volume covers 2 months up to one year
  • Go through several volumes

 

  • Search by subjects or keywords
  • 3 months lag time
  • Usually covers 4 to 9 years on one disk. Back files can include several years on one disk

 

  • Search by subjects or keywords
  • 1 or 2 weeks lag time
  • Usually searches up to 4 to 10 years at one time
*Not a search engine. Indexes periodical databases available over (not on) the Internet.

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CQ Reseacher--Ref. H 35 E3525 1997--twice monthly publication. Each issue centers on a issue that is popular, like assisted suicide, secondhand smoke, juvenile gangs.

Janice Bickham 7/98