Information Literacy Glossary
Information Literacy Glossary
abstract
- a summary of an article, book, etc. that provides an
accurate description of its content. Altavista
- a search engine that has one of the largest databases of
Web pages. It is said to contain 140 million Web
pages. archives
- a repository for any documents or other materials,
especially of historic value. Return
to Top of Glossary Index back
button - a button, located on the toolbar of an application
program, such as a browser, that makes it possible to return
to the previous page viewed. bookmark
- a feature found in browsers that allow you to save the
address of a Web page and to go to that site at any
time. browsers
- programs that provide access to files on the World Wide
Web. Both Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer are
browsers. Return
to Top of Glossary Index cache
- an area of the computer providing temporary, high speed
storage of data. Cache may be internal or external. Internal
cache is called memory cache, while external cache is called
disk cache. A browser that cannot locate a Web site live may
bring up a previously-visited version of the site stored in
cache. call
number - a combination of characters that is used to
identify and locate an item on a library
shelf. censorship
- the deliberate prevention of access to publically
available material such as a work of art or
literature. Central
Processing Unit (CPU) - the hardware on the computer,
usually contained within a single chip, that performs
calculations, reads instructions and executes
functions. chat
room - an online space where two or more people can "meet"
and type real-time messages to each other. In order to keep
the conversation on topic, chat rooms are often limited to a
theme. cite/citation
- a bibliographic reference to supporting material
paraphrased or quoted in your research. The citation or
bibliographic reference contains identifying information
about the resource used such as its title, author, publisher
and date of publication. client
computer - the computer receiving information from a network
server known as the host. closed
computer network - an arrangement of multiple, connected
computers permitting only certain people to have access to
the information and software it offers. command
line - the line on the display screen where commands are
issued to the computer. In computer programs running under
the older operating system DOS, commands are typed in on the
command line. In the Windows operating system, commands are
available in most program as clickable icons or as clickable
words listed on a bar across the top of the
screen. computer
hardware - the physical parts of the computer such as disks,
disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards,
and chips. computer
software - computer instructions or data that give the
computer the capacity to perform different functions or
applications. copyright
- the legal ownership of published intellectual
property
such as a book. cursor
- the point on the computer screen where your computer is
ready for input, usually indicated by a line, a block or an
arrow. To type in different areas of the screen you need to
move the cursor. Return
to Top of Glossary Index Dewey
Decimal System - The Dewey Decimal System is used as a means
of organizing material. It was devised by Melvil Dewey with
the idea of assigning, into ten decimal classes, the whole
of recorded human knowledge. The ten classes are divided
into ten divisions and each division is further divided into
ten sections. Some libraries use the Dewey Decimal System to
assign numbers to books. The books are then arranged on the
library book shelves according to these numbers. Other
libraries use an arrangement system designed by the
Library
of Congress. dialog
box - a communications system used in the Windows operating
system. Dialog boxes may appear after certain commands have
been clicked to offer a more detailed display of options.
Additional options may include the ability to customize
requests or issue a more precise command. The dialog box
that appears after clicking file/print in many
Windows-based programs, for example, enables the person
using the program to select the desired printer and specify
the number of pages to print. directory
- (1) Also referred to as a folder, a directory is a
special kind of file used to organize other files on
computers into hierarchical structures. Directories contain
information about files that are beneath them. The main
directory is called the root directory. A directory that is
below another directory is called a subdirectory; a
directory above a subdirectory is called the parent. (2) A
Web site that organizes many other previewed Web sites into
searchable categories such as Yahoo
and LookSmart. domain
name - the first part of an Internet address, beginning with
the server name, such as www, followed by a selected
name, such as gap, and ending with a top level domain
name such as .com, .org, .edu, etc. Return
to Top of Glossary Index e-mail
- short for electronic mail. A service that sends messages
on computers through local or global
networks. editor
- (1) a person who reviews a document before it can be
published to assure its quality. (2) An application used to
make changes to the text in existing programs or documents.
Microsoft's Notepad is an example of an
editor. Excite
- a World Wide Web search engine. It provides a full-text
index of approximately 50 million Web pages, along with a
list of over 60,000 reviewed sites. Sites are rated with a
5-star rating system. Return
to Top of Glossary Index File
- Electronic data or information is stored as files after it
is created on a computer. Different types of files include
data files, text files, program files, and directory files.
A file is identified by its name, called the filename, and a
file extension, or a 3-4 letter code following the
filename. file
extension - a three character, alphanumeric code appearing
after a file name. A period separates the file name from the
extension. The file extension indicates the type of file
under consideration and may also be a reference to the
software used to create it. Resume.txt, for example,
is the file name for a document called resume.
Resume is a text, or txt document and
was created with a text editor. file
server - also known as a host,
the computer on a network
designated to direct applications, documents and
communications to the other computers on the
network. File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) - a system of distributing
information over the Internet, pre-dating
http
(hypertext transfer protocol). firewall
- a method of protecting sensitive material on a private
computer network. A firewall provides a barrier between the
company's network and the Internet. It can be implemented in
both hardware and/or software. flame
war - a continued exchange appearing on a computer listserv
or newsgroup, in which the writers express objections to
each other's comments. full-text
- documents available electronically in their entirety.
Full-text documents are contrasted to other documents that
are offered partially either as citations or as citations
with abstracts. Return
to Top of Glossary Index Gopher
- a hierarchal navigational tool of menus, pre-dating the
Web, used to index related addresses on the
Internet. Return
to Top of Glossary Index home
page - a site on the World Wide Web representing an
individual or a group. A home page may stand alone or
proceed a series of connected pages. host
- a computer that gives information or applications to a
client
computer or allows for communication among connected
computers. HotBot
- a search engine noted for its speed and the ability to
structure searches. HotBot can limit searches to Web pages
that contain specific technologies such as JavaScript or
Shockwave. It also allows you to limit your search within a
particular top level domain name or a particular geographic
area. hot
spot - the point on a Web page that serves as a
link
to another Web page. An image or text can serve a hot
spot. hyperlink
- a point on a Web page coded with directions to a Web
browser to another Web site. Hypertext
Transfer Protocol (HTTP) - defines how messages are
formatted and transmitted on the Web, and what actions Web
servers and browsers should take. Hypertext
Mark-up Language (HTML) - a set of codes used to format Web
pages and create links. It provides instructions to a
browser tellng it how to display Web pages. Return
to Top of Glossary Index IP -
the abbreviation for Internet Protocol. The IP address is a
numerical way of identifying every computer connected to the
Internet. It is composed of four strings of numbers
separated by periods. Infoseek
- a World Wide Web search engine that provides a full-text
search engine as well as categorized lists of Web
sites. input
device - Computer hardware that feeds data into a computer,
such as a keyboard or mouse. Integrated
Services Digital Network (ISDN) - an international
communications standard for sending voice, video and data.
ISDN lets you connect to the Internet at high speeds over
existing telephone lines. ISDN requires special switching
equipment and allows data to be transferred at rates of 64
Kbps. intellectual
property - a creative, published product, such as a book or
a music score. The legal owner of a piece of intellectual
property is the sole individual with the rights to reproduce
the work. The owner also has the power to grant the right of
reproduction to others. interlibrary
loan- a system libraries use in which they borrow materials
from the collections of other libraries when they cannot
meet a person's request with materials in their own
institutions. Internet
Explorer - Microsoft's Web browser. Exploer offers access to
text, graphics, sound and video on the Web. Internet
Service Provider (ISP) - a company that provides access to
the Internet. For a monthly fee, the service provider gives
you browser and telecommunications software, a username and
password, and an access phone number. Additionally, many
also offer e-mail,
chat
rooms,
and free home
page
hosting as part of their service. Return
to Top of Glossary Index journal
- scholarly serial material. Return
to Top of Glossary Index keyword
- a word or a combination of words that are most relevant to
the information you are searching. Return
to Top of Glossary Index Library
of Congress - the national library of the United States. The
Library of Congress provides many tools for enabling
information literacy, including a Web site for access to
electronic information and a classification system for
access to printed and media collections. See also
Dewey
Decimal System. Local
Area Network (LAN) - a network of personal computers that
encompasses a relatively small area. Most LANs are found in
a single building or groups of buildings. location
box - the box on a browser screen where you type in a URL in
order to go to an Internet site. LookSmart
- a Web-based directory guide that contains over 250,000 Web
sites in more than 12,5000 subject categories. It delivers
keyword matches to reviews in its directory and also
utilizes Altavista's search technology to search the entire
Web. A special feature is its magazine links that may be
grouped. Lycos
- a popular World Wide Web search engine and directory. Like
Excite, Lycos offers a full-text search engine, a directory
of Web sites organized by category, and reviews of selected
sites. Return
to Top of Glossary Index memory
- internal storage areas in a computer that determine that
amount of processing possible on a system at any time.
Computers store information in units called bytes or
multiples of bytes. The more bytes your computer has, the
more memory it has and, therefore, the more simultaneous
processing that is possible. metasearch
engine - A search engine that brings back retrieval from a
number of search engines simutaneously. microfilm
- film in the form of a strip 16 millimeters or 35
millimeters wide bearing a photographic record on a reduced
scale of printed or other graphic matter that is enlarged
for reading or viewing using a specially designed
viewer. modem
- the acronym for modulator-demodulator. A device or program
that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone
lines. Return
to Top of Glossary Index Netcenter-
Netscape's own Web site. The Netcenter site gives easy links
to a few of the major search engines. netiquette
- appropriate behavior for all online activities that shows
an awareness of and respect for others. Netscape
Navigator- a browser that enables you to access text,
graphics, sound and video on the Web. network
- computers connected through hardware and software in order
to share applications and documents and to allow for
communications. Network
Interface Card (NIC) - an expansion card inserted into a
computer that enables the computer to be connected to a
network. It handles all the electronic functions of network
access. newsgroup
- an on-line discussion group in which messages are posted
after they are composed (compare to chat
rooms).
Any who join the group may read the messages. In order to
participate, you need a news reader, a program that runs on
your computer and connects you to a news server on the
Internet. News group exist on nearly any topic of human
interest. Return
to Top of Glossary Index online
journal databases - electronic resources that include
citations to and abstracts of newspapers, magazine and
journal articles from many sources. In some cases, online
databases offer full-text,
or, complete articles. Online
Public Access Catalog (OPAC) - a catalog based on and giving
direct access to machine-readable cataloging records.
Libraries began offering their catalogs electronically
before the advent of the World Wide Web through
Telnet
applications. Many library catalogs are now available
through the Web (see Web-based
catalog). operating
systems - programs that run other programs. They perform
basic tasks, such as responding to input, displaying output,
organizing files and directories, and they work devices such
as disk drives and printers. Windows 95 is an example of an
operating system. output
device - any machine capable of displaying processed
information from a computer. This includes display screens,
printers, plotters and synthesizers. Return
to Top of Glossary Index page
source - an option on the Netscape Navigator 4.0 browser
that will show you the text of your document along with the
HTML coding. password
- an alphanumeric code input by a computer user in order to
gain access to a computer and its services, a computer file,
or a computer program. path
- the route computer software follows, through various
electronic directories,
to access a file. periodical
- a magazine or other publication where the issues appear at
stated or regular intervals and which is intended to go on
indefinitely. Usually, each issue contains articles by
several contributors. periodical
index - a collection of citations
to journals or magazines. A good periodical index provides
numerous access points, from author and title, to subject
and publisher, to allow the user to find the needed
information. personal
home pages - home pages established by individuals with
personal interests and talents who want others to read what
they have to say or to see images they would like to
display. plagarism
- to steal someone's intellectual
property.
A writer plagarizes by copying someone else's words without
giving a citation.
platform - a standard underlying the hardware and software
of a computer system. Hardware and software are developed to
be compatible within a platform. Two major types of
platforms are Apple or Macintosh and IBM or
PC. plug-in
- an application designed to work with other software. The
Netscape Navigator browser, for example, requires plug-ins
for audio and video to display. pornography
- published material with sexual content that is considered
obscene. preferences
- a menu within a program that allows a user to tailor the
program to individual needs. The preferences menu in a
browser, for example, can be used to set up to request a
particular opening page, a style of font, or a background
for all pages viewed. print
preview - a menu option that shows the layout of pages prior
to printing. Print preview enables you to decide which pages
you want to print of a very long document. Return
to Top of Glossary Index RAM
-an acronym for Random Access Memory, also known as main
memory. You can both write data into RAM and read data from
it. RAM is a temporary sort of memory. Unless data is saved,
it will not be retained once the computer is shut
off. ranking
- Search engines will rank the search results, presenting
the most relevant sites first. relevancy
- a search engine may assign a relevancy value to each item
in the results list. The higher the value, the more relevant
is the result. A search engine determines relevance based on
the position and frequency of occurrence of the search word
in the retrieved document. reload
- To load a program or document into RAM once again in order
to run it. Reload is used when browsing the Web for
frequently-changing Web sites in order to see the most
up-to-date version of a site. Return
to Top of Glossary Index search
engine - a Web site comprised of a large database of Web
sites. A search engine's spider
collects the Web pages. The search engine then allows
visitors to do keyword searching to find appropriate
pages. self-publication
- publishing without the critical review of others prior to
publication. The World Wide Web provides many with the
opportunity for self-publication. serial
- a publication issued in parts (i.e., weekly magazines)
over an indefinite period. spam
- Mass electronic mailings, usually of advertisements, to
e-mail accounts. spider
- a program that automatically fetches Web pages. A search
engine works by sending out a spider to fetch as many
documents as possible. A spider is also known as a
robot or crawler. status
bar - The status bar is located on the bottom of the screen
of the Netscape Navigator browser. It will tell you when the
connection to the URL has been made and how much of the
document has been downloaded as the downloading
proceeds. subject
heading - a uniform word or group of words used to describe
the subject of library material in a library catalog. Also,
a uniform word or group of words used to describe the
subject of a reference in an index to periodical
articles. Return
to Top of Glossary Index T-1
line - a dedicated phone connection supporting data rates of
1.544Mbits per second. T-1 lines are a popular leased line
option for businesses connecting to the Internet and for
Internet
Service Providers
(ISPs)
connecting to the Internet backbone. telnet
- a terminal emulation program for TCP/IP networks such as
the Internet. The telnet program allows you to log on to
another computer from a remote location. You can then issue
commands just as if you were at that computer's keyboard and
gain access to all the computer's resources. trademark
- image or text associated with a commercial organization
that represesnts that organization and is owned by that
organization. Many businesses have paid to assure that their
URLs
correspond to the printed trademarks long-associated with
their names. Return
to Top of Glossary Index URL -
the abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator. URLs are the
names of Web sites that appear as punctuated words, such as
www.census.gov. The URL consists of a fully qualified
domain
name
(FQDN) and any additional paths
that are needed to reach a desired file. Return
to Top of Glossary Index virtual
library - a site that organizes Internet information by
subject matter. A virtual library exists independently of a
physical building and a printed collection. Return
to Top of Glossary Index web-based
catalog - library catalogs that can be accessed on the World
Wide Web as web sites. Web-based catalogs use the same data
transfer technology that is used on other Web
pages. web
server - a host
computer that delivers documents, software and other files
to client
computers making requests across the
Internet. Wide
Area Network (WAN) - Computers connected over distances via
telephone lines and radio waves. World
Wide Web (Web or WWW) - the Internet environment, when
accessed with a browser, that involves the transfer of text,
graphics, sound and video through hyperlinks
to Web site URLs. Return
to Top of Glossary Index Yahoo
- Short for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle,
Yahoo! is the largest and most popular index, or
directory
Web site on the Internet.
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October 4, 1998
Susan Kahn and Beth Evans