Abstract: A short summary of an article, book, document, or non-print item, written by the author or a member of the editorial staff.
Bibliographic: The descriptive components of an item such as; edition, authors, volume, issue numbers, date, etc.
Boolean: The terms AND, OR, NOT, which are used to link groups of concepts when searching online.
Call Number: A representation that indicates an item’s shelf location usually based on subject.
Citation: The information about a book, article, document, or non-print item that identifies it. Pertinent data include author, title, date, and page numbers.
Database: An organized collection of electronic records that are standardized in format and content, which can be searched using specific techniques.
E Z proxy: The previous method for accessing UCF databases from off campus. Required login with an activated 14-digit UCF library number. It has been replaced by OpenAthens which authenticates using your NID and NID password.
Field: A subdivision of a database record; e.g., Title, Author, Date, or Subject Heading.
Full Text: Articles, books, or other items that can be displayed or obtained in their entirety online. Usually available in either HTML, PDF, or Text format (see related definitions).
Get Full Text: A link that connects a search result in a database to the full text of that article, if available, and/or to other relevant library resources and services. Also known as SFX.
HTML Format Articles: Articles or other items converted to HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) for display or distribution on the World Wide Web. Can include graphics or images from the articles.
Index: A resource that provides access to the contents of a file, document, or group of documents.
Internet: A worldwide interconnected network of computers.
ISBN: International Standard Book Number.
Journal: A periodical, particularly one containing scholarly articles.
Keyword: Words used in database and internet searching that appear in any number of fields which describe an article, book, document, or non-print item.
Magazine: A periodical which contains articles on various subjects designed for general reading.
Online Catalog: A compilation of computer records that provide access to a library’s collection.
PDF Format Articles: Articles or other items converted to Portable Document Format, a file format created by Adobe and which displays as an “image” of the original article. To display PDF documents, you need a copy of Adobe Reader installed on your PC.
Peer-Reviewed Journals: Journals where articles are evaluated (refereed) by subject specialists before being accepted for publication.
Periodical: A serial that is published at regular intervals, generally more frequently than once a year.
Search Strategy: A systematic process used to find the most relevant information on a topic.
Serial: A publication issued in successive parts intended to be continued indefinitely.
SFX: A link that connects a search result in a database to the full text of that article, if available, and/or to other relevant library resources and services. Also known as Get Full Text.
Subject Heading: A valid term or descriptor that is part of a controlled vocabulary used to describe the contents of a book, article, document, or non-print resource.
Text Format Articles: Articles or other items displayed in ASCII (or plain) text which displays only the text characters of the item; not the format, color, or any graphics.
Thesaurus: A compilation of terms providing a standardized or controlled vocabulary, including broader, narrower, and related terms.
Truncation: A search strategy method where variants of a word are searched by replacing one or more letters with a symbol.
World Wide Web: A hypertext system for finding and accessing information on the Internet.