ENGL110 class page

Research at the college level involves a lot of library jargon! The terms below are used throughout this guide. If you see a term you're not familiar with, return here for a quick definition. 

• Call Number: A group of letters and numbers that identifies a book or other item in a library. DELCAT identifies print books and other physical materials by call number, and you’ll see call numbers printed on book spines in the library stacks. 
• Database: A searchable, online collection of information. Library databases help you find peer-reviewed articles and other materials that aren't available on the open web. 
• DELCAT: UD’s online library catalog. DELCAT is the best place to find print books and e-books, but you’ll also find articles, DVDs, streaming video, and more. 
• Discipline: At universities, a discipline is an area of study such as psychology or biology. A more familiar way of understanding academic disciplines is to think of majors. Also known as academic field. 
• Keywords: Terms that describe what your research topic is about, including core issues and more detailed terminology. You can use keywords in DELCAT and databases to find books, articles, and more. 
• Peer-Reviewed Journal: An academic periodical that publishes peer-reviewed articles. Generally, journals are specific to an academic discipline and are published 4-6 times per year. 
• Peer-Reviewed Journal Article: A scholarly article that is researched and written by professors or other experts. Before they can be published, these articles are reviewed by experts in the author's field to make sure they present valid and quality research. 
• Periodical: A publication released at regular intervals, such as daily, monthly, or quarterly. Magazines, newspapers, and peer-reviewed journals are all periodicals. 
• Search Connectors: A word (AND, OR, NOT) that you can use to connect keywords when searching with DELCAT, a database, or even Google. Also known as Boolean operators. 
• Stacks: The shelves in a library where books are grouped by call number.