Annotated Bibliography -- A bibliography in which a brief explanatory or evaluative note is added to each reference or citation. An annotation can be helpful to the researcher in evaluating whether the source is relevant to a given topic or line of inquiry. The Cornell University Libraries provide an online guide on How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography.
Bibliography -- A systematic list of written works by a specific author or on a given subject, or that share one or more common characteristics (language, form, period, place of publication, etc.). When a bibliography is about a person, the subject is the bibliographee. A bibliography may be comprehensive or selective. In the context of scholarly publication, a list of references to sources cited in the text of an article or book, or suggested by the author for further reading, usually appearing at the end of the work. Style manuals describing citation format for the various disciplines (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) are available in the library.
Bronco ID = Library Card - Always have your Bronco ID card with you! You'll need it to check out materials from the library and to print. But, if you forget your card no big deal. We can check things out to you using your Bronco ID number or another form of personal identification.
Call Number -- A unique code printed on a label affixed to the outside of an item in a library collection, usually to the lower spine of a book or videocassette, also printed or handwritten on a label inside the item. Assigned by the cataloger, the call number is also displayed in the bibliographic record that represents the item in the library catalog, to identify the specific copy of the work and give its relative location on the shelf.
Circulation -- The process of checking books and other materials in and out of a library.
Citation -- Any written or spoken reference to an authority or precedent or to the verbatim words of another speaker or writer. In library usage, a written reference to a specific work or portion of a work (book, article, dissertation, report, musical composition, etc.) produced by a particular author, editor, composer, etc., clearly identifying the document in which the work is to be found. Citation format varies from one field of study to another but includes at a minimum author, title, and publication date. An incomplete citation can make a source difficult, if not impossible, to locate.
Citation Manager -- Software designed to enable researchers to collect bibliographic references quickly and easily, cite them properly, organize them effectively, and share them with others. Paid examples include EasyBib, EndNote, Mendeley, and RefWorks. A free open source example is Zotero.
e-book -- A digital version of a traditional print book designed to be read on a personal computer or e-book reader.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) - If the library doesn't own a book or have an article you need, Interlibrary Loan can get this for you from another library without charge.
Journal -- A periodical devoted to disseminating original research and commentary on current developments in a specific discipline, subdiscipline, or field of study (example: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology), usually published in quarterly, bimonthly, or monthly issues sold by subscription. Journal articles are usually written by the person (or persons) who conducted the research. Longer than most magazine articles, they almost always include a bibliography or list of works cited at the end.
Library of Congress Classification -- A system of classifying books and other library materials developed and maintained over the last 200 years by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In LCC, human knowledge is divided into 20 broad categories indicated by single letters of the roman alphabet, with major subdivisions indicated by a second letter, and narrower subdivisions by decimal numbers and further alphabetic notation.
Microfilm/Microfiche - Back in the day, libraries could not keep copies of every magazine, journal or book, so they converted the documents to film. Librarians are always available to help you use the microform readers/printers!
Monograph -- A relatively short book on a single subject, complete in one physical piece, usually written by a specialist in the field.
Online Catalog -- A library catalog consisting of a collection of records for items in the library.
Peer Reviewed -- Peer Review is a process that journals use to ensure the articles they publish represent the best scholarship currently available. When an article is submitted to a peer reviewed journal, the editors send it out to other scholars in the same field (the author's peers) to get their opinion on the quality of the scholarship, its relevance to the filed, its appropriateness for the journal, etc.
Periodical -- A serial publication with its own distinctive title, containing a mix of articles, editorials, reviews, columns, short stories, poems, or other short works written by more than one contributor, issued in softcover more than once, generally at regular stated intervals of less than a year, without prior decision as to when the final issue will appear. The category includes magazines, sold on subscription and at newsstands; journals, sold on subscription and/or distributed to members of scholarly societies and professional associations; and newsletters.
Proxy -- Proprietary proxy server software, designed to enable libraries to provide easy access from outside their local computer networks to Web sites that restrict access by IP address, for example, to bibliographic databases leased from vendors whose licensing agreements restrict access to registered users.
RefWorks -- RefWorks is an online bibliographic management program that allows faculty, students, and staff to create a personal database of citations. RefWorks offers wonderful tutorials.
Renewal -- An extension of the loan period for a book or other item, usually for the length of the normal borrowing period.
Reserve -- An item on reserve that may be checked out by a registered borrower but may not be removed from library premises. Also, a reserve items are shelved behind the desk from which requested items must be retrieved by a member of the library staff.
ScholarWorks - A collection of services designed to capture and showcase all scholarly output by the Boise State University community.
Serial -- A publication in any medium issued under the same title in a succession of discrete parts, usually numbered (or dated) and appearing at regular or irregular intervals with no predetermined conclusion. Serial publications include print periodicals and newspapers, electronic magazines and journals, annuals (reports, yearbooks, etc.), continuing directories, proceedings and transactions, and numbered monographic series cataloged separately. When serials split, merge, or are absorbed, a title change may occur.
WorldCat Discovery - Our online catalog. Use this to find materials located in the Albertsons Library