Research+Glossary

=Glossary of research terms=

__**Boolean search**__: A way of combining search terms using the Boolean operators AND, NOT, and OR. Using Boolean searches can help you refine your search. Click here for a site that will let you practice Boolean searching. __**browser**__ (also **__web browser__**): A software program that allows users view web pages. __**Google:**__ A search engine. The URL is www.google.com. __**keyword**__: A word used to focus the research. For example, when researching on the topic of human migration, the keywords may be "immigration to Canada." Also called "search term." __**OPAC**__: __O__nline __P__ublic __A__ccess __C__atalog: This is what your library's online catalog is usually called. A library catalog is a listing of all the materials in the library. An OPAC allows you to look for books or other materials by using the title, the author, the subject and other criteria. It will also let you do many other tasks, for example, checking what books you have checked out and placing a hold on a book you want. __**skim, to**__: To quickly read through a text looking for keywords or main ideas. __**URL**__: Uniform Resource Locator. Means the address for a website. This can be in numbers or in words. Examples, www.google.com, http://istresearchstrategies.wikispaces.com. __**web browser:**__ A software program that allows users view web pages.
 * __relevance__**: How appropriate a search engine thinks a website is to the keywords you search. Search engines often show results based on this.
 * __result__**: Any website, picture, or file you find using a search engine.
 * __search engine__**: A special kind of website for looking through other websites for keywords. Examples: Google.com and Ask.com