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A summary of the text of a book or journal article or thesis (etc.). An abstract should include the main points, and not merely contain a description of the content.
A manuscript copy in the author or composer's own hand.
A list of works arranged in a logical order, usually alphabetically by author. Details provided include author, title, place and year of publication, publisher and details of the edition (if published).
Bibliographies range from: A list of works consulted during the process of the writing of a book, or journal article (or thesis or assignment etc....), to a complete list of all the works published in a particular country, or by a particular author, or on a particular subject, or by a particular publisher or printer... or a list of all the works held in a particular collection.
A form of searching available on databases such as library catalogues, electronic journal indexes and www search engines which makes use of Boolean algebra (a system of logic dealing with the relationship between sets). Keywords can be linked together by Boolean Operators (e.g. and, or, not) in order to refine a search. For instance:
symphony and classicalwill retrieve all of the records on a database which contain both words.
galant or pre-classicalwill retrieve all of the records on a database which contain either of the words.
University of Melbourne Library's web based system which provides access to electronic resources. Resources range from indexing services (such as RILM), to full text resources (such as full-text journals, statistics etc.)
CAVAL (Cooperative Action by Victorian Academic Libraries)
A reciprocal borrowing scheme which allows students and staff to borrow from other Victorian academic libraries.
An entry in a bibliography or catalogue referring to a specific work (book, chapter, journal article or thesis etc...) Contains enough details to make the work clearly identifiable; usually the author, title, place and year of publication, publisher and details of the edition (if published). If it is an article within a larger work, further details such as the title, editor and page numbers, volume number etc. are usually also included.
Style guides (or manuals) exist which contain details on how works should be cited. The Music Department recommends that students use the MLA Hanbook (4th edition).
An edition of all the known works of composer. The collected works of a composer are sometimes titled Opera omnia (latin), Sämtliche Werke (German), Gesamtausgabe (German), or Oeuvres complètes (French). A volume of selected works may be titled Ausgewählte Werke (German).
An organized collection of information, or data, made up of individual records (which are subdivided into fields). May be in paper or electronic format. e.g. Library catalogues and journal indexes. Electronic databases are usually designed in such a way that keyword searching is available, as well as searching for terms in specific fields (e.g. author, title...)
To sound recordings as bibliography is to books: a list of sound recordings of a particular period, composer, genre, performer, etc.
To transfer electronic data from one source to another. For example, it is possible to download selected records from a networked database onto a floppy disk or onto the hard drive of the computer you are working on. Likewise, it is possible to download full-text articles or books available electronically via the www onto a disk.
An edition that consists of a photographic reproduction of an original source, either in manuscript or published.
A collection of essays or articles published in honor of a particular event or occasion, such as the birthday or retirement of a respected scholar.
Specific section within a record on a database. Each field contains a particular type of information or data. For example the fields in each record on a library catalogue include Author, Title and Subject. Electronic databases are designed in this way so that it is possible to search just within the one field. (It is usually also possible to search across all fields, using keyword searching).
A guide (either in print or electronic format) which assists with the location of material within a specific collection. The term finding aid usually refers to the guides produced and made available by archival institutions.
The entire text of an article or book (etc.) available online.
A global collection of computer networks which are interconnected through a common addressing scheme.
Journal / Magazine / Periodical / Serial
Terms often used interchangeably to describe any work published on a regular basis which contains articles. (Usually published by an institution or a professional society)
(Technically journal is a term which describes scholarly publications, while a magazine is more for general interest. Both journals and magazines can be classified as periodicals, which are publications issued regularly, two or more times a year. Serials is a term covering a broader range of publications: periodicals, annuals and works published on an irregular basis).
Main terms from a topic or question which can be used as search terms on relevant databases. Also useful when using printed indexes and catalogues.
A hand written source. In music, many early sources were distributed in manuscript form due to the expense and difficulty of music publishing.
A book written by a single author, as opposed to a collection of essays or chapters by a number of authors, brought together by an editor.
Photographic "microcopies" of images which can be read using an enlarging machine. The two main types of microform are Microfiche, transparent rectangular sheets, and Microfilm, reels of transparent film. A wide range of material is stored on microform, including books, newspapers, journals, manuscripts, photographs, art works etc...
In computing terms, a network is created when two or more computers are linked electronically in order to be able to share resources.
Pieces of evidence, the origin of which is contemporary with the period, place, event, person or people being researched.
Primary Sources can take the form of first hand accounts (diaries, letters, memoirs, speeches, newspaper reports, interviews, photographs etc.); official records (government documents, census data, company records etc.); creative works (poetry, prose, music, painting, film etc.); and artifacts (clothing, tools, buildings, toys, vehicles etc.).
A www based indexing tool containing information on, and links to a selection of sites on the www. Keyword searching is available and Boolean operators can be used.
Studies written about a period, place, event, person or people (etc.). Generally based on Primary Sources, as well as other Secondary Sources.
Secondary Sources can take the form of books, journal articles, theses, documentaries etc.
A symbol which can be used as a substitute for any string of characters (zero or more characters) when searching on a database. Very useful for retrieving plurals and other extensions of a word. For example when searching on Humanities Index the * is the truncation symbol.
e.g. sail*
will retrieve sail, sails, sailor, sailoring, sailors, sailing, sailed, sailcloth etc.
A symbol which can be used as a substitute for one (or zero) chacters when searching on a database. Very useful for retrieving plurals, or for when you are unsure of the spelling, or when you know there are variations in spelling. For example, on Humanities Index the wildcard symbol is ?
e.g. ?nquirywill retrieve inquiry and enquiry
Collection of documents published on the Internet which are interconnected through "hypertext" links. (Hypertext links are clickable links which connect pages on the www together) A web page is a single document, while a web site is a collection of related documents.
Maintained by: S.Cole, sbcole@unimelb.edu.au