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CSULB Library Find Books Find Articles Research Guides Other Libraries Need Help? Connect from Home |
What is an ABSTRACT?
An abstract is a summary of a larger work such as a journal or magazine article. You can read the abstract to decide if an article will be helpful in your research. Reading an abstract is NOT the same as reading the entire journal article.
What is a BIBLIOGRAPHY? (also called Works Cited page, Reference List)
1.) Published bibliographies are lists, often with descriptive or critical notes, of writings relating to a particular subject, author, or time period (i.e. "Africa since 1914: A Bibliography" or "Dance: An Annotated Bibliography, 1965-1982"). Use COAST to search for bibliographies.
2.) A bibliography, works cited page, or reference list is a list at the end of a journal article or book that lists the sources used by an author.
What is a BIOGRAPHY?
A book or information about an individual's life. Use COAST or biographical databases to find biographies.
What is a BOOK REVIEW? (Book Review research guide)
A critical evaluation of a book usually published in a popular magazine or newspaper.
What are BOOLEAN OPERATORS? How do I use AND and OR to create better searches?
Using "OR" expands your search by retrieving documents that have either of your search terms. Use to connect two or three similar concepts or synonyms or spellings.
Example: Internet OR World Wide Web
Example: University OR College
Example: sulfur OR sulphur
Using "NOT" limits your search by returning only your first search term not the second. It works well when there are multiple meanings of the same word or name.
Example: Saturn NOT car
Example: Java NOT coffee
Nesting is used when combing your search terms in one search box. It is similar to nesting mathematical statements in algebra, so the calculations are done in the proper order.
Example: (hybrid OR electric) AND (Toyota OR Honda)
What is a CALL NUMBER?
A book's call number is like a house's address. It will help you find the book within the library. For example, after searching COAST, you find a book with the call number "3rd floor HV8280.AS O24." To find the book go to the 3rd floor then look at the call number range labels on the book shelves until you find HV. Follow the HV's until you find 8280. Then look carefully for your item.
Note: Check Library Organization.
Note: To learn more, use the Call Number Tutorial from Florida Atlantic University.
What is a CHRONOLOGY?
A list or account of events arranged in the order of there occurrence in time. Look for chronologies in books and encyclopedias.
What is a CITATION?
A citation is the basic information you need to find a specific item in the library. Citations generally contain the author, the title, the year of publication, the page number and also the journal, magazine or newspaper title, volume, publisher and more.
What is COAST?
COAST is CSULB's library catalog. You can search for books, e-books, CD's, DVD's, government documents, books-on-tape, cassette tapes, and specific journal, magazine and newspaper titles (not specific articles--use a database for that).
What is COPYRIGHT? (more information)
The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, and sell a literary, musical, or artistic work.
What is a DATABASE?
A database is a searchable file of information. Most library databases contain citations or references (the basic information you need to find a journal article), abstracts (brief summary of an article), and some databases full-text (the text of the journal article). Using a databases will help you save time and find better results when you are searching for journal, magazine, and newspaper articles.
How do I access the DATABASES FROM HOME?
To access all of our electronic resources from off campus you need your campus ID number and Library PIN. To use the databases when you are off campus go to http://www.csulb.edu/library and click on Electronic Resources, then click on Find Articles. Select the topic that is closest to the information you need to find or use the Databases by Titles tab.
What is a DICTIONARY?
A book that lists and explains the words in a language.
What is a DISSERTATION or THESIS?
An academic thesis or dissertation is a large research paper written by students in order to complete their master's or doctoral degrees (PhD). Generally thesis refers to a Master's degree and dissertation refers to a Doctoral degree. Use COAST or databases to find thesis and dissertations.
What is an E-BOOK?
An e-book or electronic book is a book that has been posted on the Internet. CSULB pays to have access to most of these items and they can be found in COAST or searched using NetLibrary. They can be access from both on and off-campus.
What is an EDITORIAL? (newspaper articles)
An article where the author strongly expresses an opinion based solely on his/her thoughts and experiences, with little or no research. Editorial pieces are not usually considered scholarly.
What is EMPIRICAL RESEARCH?
Empirical research is conducted when new data is collected.
What is an ENCYCLOPEDIA? (more information)
A book or set of books that provide brief summaries on all branches of knowledge. The summaries are usually arranged alphabetically. Can be in general in scope or cover a specific topic in depth. Can be print or electronic.
What is an ENDNOTE/FOOTNOTE? What is an IN-TEXT or PARENTHETICAL CITATION?
An in-text or parenthetical citation generally includes a signal phrase (usually the author's name) to alert the reader you are using someone's ideas and a reference (usually the page number).
Rose (1994) noted, rap music has both overt and covert political dimensions: "Rap's poetic voice is deeply political in context and spirit, but its hidden struggle--that of access to public space and community resources and the interpretations of Black expression--constitutes rap's hidden politics" (p.145).
More information:
MLA In-text citations
APA In-text citations
Citations in text of electronic material, APA
More information:
How do Write Footnotes and Endnotes in MLA Style
Turabian Style-Sample Footnotes and Bibliographic Entries from Bridgewater State College
Turabian Footnotes from Duke University
How to Cite, Using Footnotes: Using the Chicago Manual of Style
What is FULL TEXT?
Full text generally refers to the complete text of an article that is available electronically through the computer. Full text is usually in the PDF or HTML format.
What is a GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT?
A government document is any publication issued by an agency of the government. It includes local, state, or federal government. It may be in any format including print, on the Internet, microfilm, etc. Use COAST to find government documents and click on the link in the COAST record or write down the location and SuDoc number. Government documents are organized by SuDoc number.
What is ILLIAD? Illiad (InterLibrary Loan Internet Accessible Database) is a FREE electronic request system to get materials from libraries across the country that are not here at CSULB. Use Illiad to request journal articles, books, conference proceedings, dissertation, etc.
1.) Simply log in to ILLiad with your ID number and Library PIN.
2.) Request materials online using your citation or bibliographic information you found searching a database or elsewhere.
3.) In 5-10 days you will receive an email message that your materials have arrived with directions to log back into Illiad to pick it up. Generally, if you requested a journal article or conference proceeding, the item will be scanned and posted on the Internet. If you requested a book or dissertation you can pick it up at the Interlibrary Services desk on the Lower Level.
Note: Use Illiad at the Beach FAQ's for more information.
What are LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUBJECT HEADINGS?
Library of Congress Subject Headings are terms used to describe what a book or item is about. Librarians create Subject Headings using subdivisions. It can be helpful to browse the subject headings in COAST. We also have 5 large red Subject Heading books near the Reference Desk on the 1st Floor.
What is LINK+?
Use Link+ to search for books in the collection of 40+ libraries. Click the 
button at the top of the COAST screen after running your search or search Link+ directly. If you find a book you are interested in click the Request this item link. Select CSU Long Beach from the pull down menu when it asks "With which institution are you affiliated with?" click Submit. Enter your name and ID number and click Submit. Pick up your book in 3-5 days at the Circulation Desk on the First floor. Check the status of your request using
Note: You can only search for books not journal articles (use ILLiad for all other materials).
What is LITERARY CRITICISM or LITERATURE REVIEW ARTICLE? (see Book Review)
An article expressing a specific opinion on a literary work (such as Hamlet, or A Tale of Two Cities). Use databases to find literary criticism.
What is a MONOGRAPH?
Your regular, average book, usually providing historical information or a broad overview on a single subject or on some aspect of a subject.
Tip: Monographic Series are a series of related books.
What is a PRIMARY SOURCE or PRIMARY DOCUMENT?
Primary sources are different for the disciplines and particularly between the humanities and the sciences.
Humanities: A primary document is a document or other item written or produced by someone who was part of in or witnessed an event. Primary documents generally include newspapers, photographs, interviews, diaries, manuscripts, first-hand accounts, letters and more.
Sciences: A primary source is a publication that reports the results of original scientific research. Primary sources generally include scientific journal articles reporting experimental research results; proceedings of conferences, symposia, or meetings; technical reports; thesis and dissertations.
What is the difference between PDF and HTML?
When accessing full text articles you may have the choice between PDF or HTML documents. Both contain the same text of the article.
A PDF is a picture of the print copy of the article. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the article. This format works well when you are printing the article or want to see graphs or images in the article. PDFs include the page numbers, so are easier to cite in your bibliography or cited works page.
An HTML document has been formatted for the computer. You do not need special software to read the article. This format works well when you are reading the article online. The article may contains links to other parts of the document. Graphs or images may or may not be accessible.
What is a PEER REVIEWED or REFEREED or SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLE?
A scholarly or peer reviewed article has gone through the editorial process. The editorial process consists of a panel of experts (usually 3) reading through the article and concluding research was been done correctly and the information is accurate. Scholarly articles usually are longer than 5 pages, have no advertisements, and have bibliographies at the end. To find out if a journal is peer reviewed you can check their website for information about the editorial process or check a reference book such as Ulrich's Periodical Directory near the reference desk.
What is QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?
Qualitative research is generally based on interviews, case studies, and observation. It often focuses more on opinion and interpretation not statistical data. Look for words such as case studies, interviews, ethnography and observation to find qualitative research in journals and books.
What is QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH?
Quantitative research is generally based on statistical analysis of numerical data. This data can be generated by surveys, demographic information, or questionnaires. Look for numerical analysis and results to find quantitative research in journals and books.
What is a RESEARCH APPOINTMENT? (Would you like to schedule an appointment?)
You can request a research appointment with your subject librarian. This is designed from students have begun their research but are having trouble finding resources or have questions.
What is a RESEARCH ARTICLE?
An article on a specific topic that is published in a journal. As journals are published periodically, research articles are more timely than books and usually much shorter in length. Use databases to find research articles.
What are RESEARCH GUIDES? (Where can I find the Research Guides?)
Research guides have been created by the CSULB librarians. We have a research guide for most departments on campus and many other useful topics. Research guides have web sites on your topics that have been evaluated by librarians. Many research guides also have additional resources such as reference books, journals, and more.
What is the REFERENCE SECTION?
The reference section is located on the first floor of the library. It contains encyclopedias, subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, maps, almanacs, indexes and other useful books. These books cannot be checked out. Use COAST to search for reference books.
What is REFWORKS? (learn more)
RefWorks is a web-based bibliography manager or citation manager. It allows you to create a personal database of references for research use and in writing papers. RefWorks will import references and organize them in any manner you choose. Those references create a searchable database of your research. Bibliographies can be created from your library of references in many citation styles.
What are RESERVES and E-RESERVES? (How do I get to reserves?)
If your professor put an item like a book or a journal article on reserve it means it is available for limited checkout from the Lower Level of the Library. The Library also has electronic reserves or e-reserves that you can access from on or off campus. Your professor should give you a password to access your class reserve items.
What are SUBJECT HEADINGS?
Subject Headings are terms added to a record by a librarian to identify what a item is about. It is a controlled vocabulary so it is more precise than a keyword search. The CSULB Library uses Library of Congress Subject Headings. These books are located in the first floor Reference Section or you can search the Subject Headings using COAST, Subject.
What is SFX?
SFX (Special Effects) is technology that allows you to find full text article more easily. Simply click on the SFX button 
to find out if CSULB has electronic access to the full text or the print copy of the article.
Note: If a database does not have an SFX button you can manually search using COAST, journals.
What is TRUNCATION?
Truncation expands your search by searching for different word endings like -s, -es, -ed, -ing. The truncation symbol is usually an asterisk (*), but check the database instructions or search tips.
Example: teen* searches teen, teens, teenager, teenagers.
Example: comput* searches computer, computers, computing, computation, etc..
GLOSSARIES & RESOURCES
For more extensive lists of terms try:
Have more questions? Need Help?
Ask a Librarian: in-person, online 24/7 chat, by appointment, or by email.
This page was created May 2004 by Kate Peterson
and is maintained by Eileen Wakiji, Librarian.
University Library, California State University, Long Beach
