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University of Bradford >> Library >> Services >> Glossary
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Alerting service: Some databases will send you an email when an article appears in a journal which you might find useful for your research.
Alphabetical order: Words arranged in order of the Roman alphabet. (Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz)
Abstract: A summary of a longer piece of text, often found at the beginning of journal articles.
Advanced search: This term is found in electronic databases. It allows you to put in more options to construct your search.
Athens: This is the password you need to access many of our resources off campus. It is sent via your University of Bradford email address when you start your course. If you have forgotten it there is an Athens password request service available.
Author: The person who has written the book or journal article.
Barcode: Every item in the Library has a barcode which is a unique code. It is usually found inside the front of the book. You need to scan this in to use the self service machines. (It is not the one that is printed on the book by the publisher).
BCID: An old name for the Development Collection.
Bibliography: List of books and other materials which have been used to write a piece of work.
Black and white printing: Printing in black and white not colour.
Blackboard: The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) used by the University of Bradford is called Blackboard. This is where you find your modules online.
Blog: 'Blog' stands for 'Web log' and is an online diary individuals or groups of people maintain online . Blogs can be about a specific topic like cookery or they can inform members of a University about latest Library news.
Borrower: A registered member of the Library.
Borrower number: You will be asked to put this in when you click on the borrower info link on the Library home page. It is the UB number on your card with the issue number at the end. This will enable you to renew your books online.
Borrower record: This is a summary of the books and fines you have in your name. You can access your borrower record from the Library Catalogue.
Borrower status: Different types of students can borrow different numbers of books.
Bound journal: Separate issues of a specific printed journal are bound together into one volume – this is often called a ‘bound journal’. Most of the collection of bound journals are on the journal shelves of Floors 1 and 2. Journals printed before 1975 are on Floor 02. Use the Library Catalogue to find the classmark for a journal.
BRADfinder: Name of the University of Bradford Library Catalogue.
British Government Publications (BGP): This is official material produced by the British Government. This collection is found on Floor 2 of the J.B. Priestley Library.
Carrel: See Study Carrel.
Catalogue: Electronic list of all the items available in the Library for you to search.
It will tell you the following details:
Catalogue PC: A small number of computers in the Library only allow you to access the Library Catalogue. They are next to the Information Desks on Floors 1, 2, and the printers on Floor 0.
Cataloguing: This is the process all new books go through, it involves adding a record for the book to our Library Catalogue, and making a decision as to where the book is to be placed in the Library which is known as the classification process. When looking for a book on the catalogue if it says 'classification' it is currently going through this decision making process. You can still reserve these books.
CD-ROM: 'CD' stands for Compact Disc and 'ROM' for Read Only Memory. CD-ROMs are discs for holding data. On the catalogue you may find some material which is available on a CD-ROM. A comprehensive list of CD-ROMs is available via our CD-ROM service.
Citation: When you refer to another source (e.g. book, journal) in your original piece of work it is called a citation.
Class number / classmark / classification: Books in libraries are organised according to a number system which puts books on the same subject together on the shelves. At the University of Bradford Library the class number usually starts with a letter and is followed by a number and then the first three letters of the author’s family name. (e.g. D 301.544 LAU)
Use the Library Catalogue to find the class number for an item, and then find the class number on the shelves in the Library.
Sections such as Commonweal, Development and Health Studies Collections (found in J.B. Priestley Library) have different numbers, but their classmarks still start with a letter and end with the first three letters of the author’s family name.
Classification: You may also see a status 'classification' on the Library Catalogue. This means it is waiting for a classmark and is not yet on the shelf.
You can still place a reservation on these books.
Commonweal Collection: This is an independent specialist Library concerned with issues relating to non-violent social change. The Commonweal Collection is located on Floor 2 of the J.B. Priestley Library.
Conference proceeding: A collection of papers from speakers at conferences.
Copy / copies: This has two different definitions in the Library:
Copyright: This is a legal protection given to any person who creates certain kinds of materials, including books, journal articles, artistic works, and computer programs. Copyright limits the amount of photocopying you can do, if any, from books and journals. Read more about Copyright and Licensing.
Counter: This is located on Floor 0. You can ask for help using the Library and IT services here.
Current: A piece of information which has been published recently.
Database: In a Library context this is an electronic collection of information which you can search. Often databases focus on a particular subject area and are often used to search for journal articles. Choose the eResources and Databases link on the Library homepage to find the full list of databases available for your subject.
Development Collection: The Development Collection is a specialist collection in the J.B. Priestley Library at the University of Bradford. It was created to support the staff and students of the Department for Development and Economic Studies and collects materials in the field of development studies. This is a collection of books and journals located on Floor 2 of the Library.
Dissertation: A dissertation is a long piece of research generally on a topic chosen by the student. You can find electronic copies of some postgraduate dissertations in Virtual Scholars, for example, MA, MSc and MBA.
DOI®: Digital Object Identifier. A DOI is a permanent identifier to enable a student to find an item electronically. For instance, a journal article can have a DOI (e.g. 10.1000/182). People using a DOI to link to a journal article on the Web can always find the article as the DOI never changes.
DPPC: An old name for the Development Collection.
Duplex printing: When using 'duplex printing' the print-out you get will be double-sided, i.e. on both sides of the paper. This saves paper.
European Documentation Centre (EDC): This is official material produced by the European Government. This collection is found on Floor 2.
Edition: Published books sometimes need updating. This means a new version or edition of the book may be published. Some books have many editions and it is recommended you use the latest one.
Editorial: In some cases this is a short piece of writing which expresses the opinion of the editor. In others it can be a summary and background to the contents of the journal.
eBook / electronic book: A book which is available in an electronic format.
eJournal / electronic journal / online journal: An electronic version of a journal which is available to view online. Access is usually only available if a subscription has been purchased for the journal. Go to the Library home page and click on Journals to find a particular title.
email: Electronic delivery of messages. You have a University of Bradford email address. It is very important that you check this on a regular basis. This is the way your academic lecturers, course administrators (admin) and the Library will communicate with you.
EndNote®: A piece of software designed to help you organise your references and create citations and a reference list in your assignments.
eResources / electronic resources: Collective term used to describe databases, eJournals, eBooks and websites.
Floor 1 Information Desk: This is the Information Desk for Science and Technology enquiries.
Floor 2 Information Desk: This is the Information Desk for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences enquiries.
Fine: When you borrow library books they have a due date when you must return them. If you do not return them on time you will be asked to pay a fine. This fine will increase with every additional day your books remain overdue.
Fine limit: The maximum amount the fine can reach.
Full text: The whole text of a journal article, book or report for you to read.
Group study room: A room which you can book to work together as a group. Book these using the Library Catalogue.
Health Studies Collection: These books are located on Floor 0.
Hold: See Reservation.
Hold Shelf / Reservation Shelf: If you reserve a book your item will be kept in the Self Service Room on Floor 0 for up to one week. You will be sent an email to let you know it has arrived. Read the email carefully, because it explains how to collect your book.
HTML: Hypertext Markup Language. This is the computer code used to make a web page. Articles are often available to save as an HTML file in databases.
Information Desk: This is a place where you can ask the librarian for help. You find an Information Desk on Floors 1 and 2 of the J.B. Priestley Library.
Opening times: term time only, Monday to Friday. See the desk for exact times.
Information skills / information literacy: The ability to find, evaluate and use information effectively.
In print: A paper copy which is available in the Library. In the library context we are usually referring to journal articles.
Impact factor: Impact factor measures the number of times a journal has been cited. The measure helps academics and librarians assess how influential an article/research paper has been.
Index: An index is found at the end of a text book and tells you which page to go to find the information you are looking for.
Inter-Library Loans (ILL): If you need a book or journal that we don’t have in the Library we can try to get it for you from the British Library.
IT Help: Information Technology. If you have a question about using a computer, help is available on Floor 0.
INST: You may see the letters 'INST' on the Library Catalogue. This means Institution and appears in the class number of items in the Development Collection on Floor 1. Make sure you write down the name of any organisation, you may have to scroll down the screen. Please ask for help if you need it.
Issue: Journals are usually published weekly or monthly as issues (or parts) and these are often referred to by number. For example, in a monthly journal the January issue is issue number 1, the February issue is issue number 2, and so on.
Journal / periodical: A journal is a publication which contains different articles written by different authors. Each journal will contain articles relating to a particular subject. There are different types of journals, scholarly, peer reviewed or more popular publications. Journals can be printed (bound journals) or access may be online, or both.
Journal article: Journal articles are how academics communicate the results of their research. They are also known as research papers. In journals you will also find other kinds of writing such as an editorial, reviews of other people’s research and letters.
Journal issue / journal part: Each issue of a journal is given a number to help you locate it in a sequence.
Keywords: These are words used to search the catalogue or databases to find information on a particular subject.
Librarian: A professional person who works in a library, manages the book collection and teaches students how to find information. if you need any help, please ask a member of staff in the Library.
Library induction: A process designed to introduce you to all the services, resources and people who can help you use the Library.
Library Catalogue: The Library Catalogue is an electronic list of all the books and journal titles available in the Library.
Literature review: This is a process you will have to go through at the start of your research. You will need to find out what has been published in your area of research.
Loan period: The length of time you can take out a book.
Management Library: This is the Management and Law Learning Resource Centre in the School of Management and Law. It is a separate library on a different campus.
Mono printing: Printing in black and white is sometimes called ‘mono’ or ‘monochrome’ in the printing options on your computer.
One week loan: An item that can be borrowed for one week.
Online: Available electronically on the Internet.
Oversize books: Books that are too big to fit on a standard shelf.
Paper: Term often used to describe a journal article prepared for a conference.
Paper copy: A term used to refer to a printed copy of a journal article rather than an electronic version.
Patent: A patent is a detailed description of an invention, published in the process of getting legal protection for the invention.
PDF: Portable Document Format. This is a type of computer file which can secure pictures etc. within it. Articles are often available to save as a PDF file in databases.
Periodical: Another word to describe a journal.
PIN: The Personal Identification Number is what you need to access your borrower record, renew your books and use the self issue machines. You can find your PIN by going to eVision.
PC clusters: A room or area with a number of computers.
Peer review: Peer review is where experts in a particular subject will evaluate the research in an article before it is published.
Plagiarism: This is when a student copies someone else’s work and takes credit for it in their own work without acknowledging the source.
Printing / printers: 'Colour' and 'black and white' printing is available on Floor 0 of the Library.
Quick Service Collection (QSC): These are popular items which you can borrow for a short period of time. This collection is located in the Self Service Room on Floor 0 of the Library.
Record: This word is sometimes used to refer to your borrower account (borrower record). It is also used to refer to an entry on the Library Catalogue, for example, to find the details of a book.
Reference only: This is an item than can only be looked at in the Library.
Reference list: All the sources you have used which you list at the end of your work.
Reservation / reserve / hold: If you want a book and all the copies are out on loan you will need to place a 'reservation'. To do this you need to use the ‘reserve’ button on the Library Catalogue record. When the book is returned we will keep it for you. You will be sent an email and the book will be waiting for you in the Self Service Room.
Reservation shelf: See Hold shelf.
Reshelving area: See Sorting area.
RoamNet: This is the name of the Wifi network for the campus.
Scholarly journal: This is a journal which publishes academic papers in a particular area of research.
SCONUL access card: This is a card which you need to use other university libraries. Ask a librarian for further details.
Silence: There are certain areas in the Library where you will see a sign saying 'silent'. You must not make any noise in these areas.
Self-issue machine: This is a machine on Floor 0 where you can issue books to yourself. You will need your library card and a PIN number.
Self-return machine: A machine located outside the Library entrance where you can return your books.
Self Service Room: A room next to the Library counter where you find the books you have reserved and the Quick Service Collection items.
Sorting area: A place where we sort the books before they are put on the shelves.
SFX: This appears in database search results. When you search for journal articles in a database, you will often see 'SFX' in the list of results. When you click on the SFX link, it will show you if an article is available in full-text.
Special Collections: Rare books and archives located on Floor 02 in Special Collections. These materials need special care and supervised access.
Stack: Journals dated before 1975 are located in the 'stack' on Floor 02.
Staff file Collection: Lecturers often place material which is essential for the course in the Staff File Collection. These items are kept behind the Library counter and can be borrowed for 2 hours or overnight
Study carrel: This is a small study room for one or two people. You can’t book these rooms. For a larger group book a group study room.
Subject Librarian: Subject Librarians can help you find information for your assignments and help you with referencing and plagiarism.
Thesis: A thesis is a long piece of research for a PhD or MPhil. All theses are kept in print in the Library. Some recent theses are available electronically in Bradford Scholars.
The Cloud: Wifi for visitors.
Username and password: A username and password are the details you need to access resources at the University of Bradford.
UB number: This is on your student card. You will need your UB number and your PIN to use the printers and borrow books in the Library. This is different to your borrower number which you need to log in to the Library Catalogue and view your borrower record.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator. It is the address for a web page on the Internet. (e.g. http://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/index.php)
Volume: Journals are usually published in volumes. A volume can contain several issues.
Web 2.0: Social media such as networking sites (Facebook, Twitter) and blogs.
Welcome Desk: This is located at the entrance of the J.B. Priestley Library. If you have a question about the Library go the Welcome Desk.