Web search engine
finding tool that is your best choice for finding very current information but often retrieves vast quantities of information, much of which may not be evaluated in any way
Library Discovery Tool
your best choice for finding what a library owns or provides access to, but searches so many different types of materials that it can be difficult to focus your search
Article Index
best choice for finding journal articles and sometimes book chapters, but may not always include full-text
Primary source
information produced by an eye-witness or contemporary of a particular event - for example, Civil War letters, diaries, etc
Secondary source
information that discusses or incorporates research and analysis on a topic or phenomenon - for example, scholarly books, research articles
Flow of information
phrase that describes the role that time plays in determining how much information is available on your topic and in what format
Natural language
search words or phrases defined as you want; also known as "uncontrolled vocabulary
Controlled vocabulary
pre-defined search terms or phrases that uniformly describe a particular subject throughout a particular database or system
Background information
information that provides a "big picture" overview of a topic; commonly found in books or encyclopedias
Search strategy
the search terms, methods, strategies, and tools you choose
Importance of Search tool selection
the fact that different search tools lead to different kinds of information; thus, the appropriate search tool depends on what type of information you need
Peer review
rigorous scholarly editing process that critiques and reviews a manuscript before it can be published
Information literacy
knowing how best to access, evaluate, and use information relevant to one's intended purpose
Research
a process of questioning and strategic exploration
Interlibrary Loan
a free collaborative networked service between libraries that allows you to borrow materials that your library doesn't own
Scholarly information
Information and materials published by and for students, researchers, scientists, and professors for the purpose of learning
Books, journal articles, dissertations, conference papers
Examples of common information formats for scholarly materials
Paywall
a barrier that blocks your access to an online resource that must be paid or subscribed to for access
Open Access
Indicates access to a web resource is open and free to anyone anywhere, regardless of institutional affiliation
Subscription resource
Type of material that requires ongoing payment for availability; scholarly journals are a common example