Resource Types
| eResource | A resource such as a book, journal or database that is available online. |
| Ebook | A text presented in a digital format which enables it to be read on a computer or handheld device. Ebooks are the same as printed books in terms of content. |
| E-Journal | A journal that is available online. |
| Database | A searchable collection of academic material. A database can be full text, or bibliographic details only. |
General Glossary
| Abstract | A brief summary of an article, book, or other published work. |
| Browser | A computer program that downloads webpages; installed on computers and used to access websites and webpages on the Web e.g. Edge, Chrome, Safari, Firefox. |
| Citation | Specific information that identifies an article, book or information source. Citations usually include author(s), title, journal name (for articles), publisher (for books), publication date and other appropriate information. |
| Cookies | Files created by sites you visit intended to make your online experience easier by saving browsing data. |
| Discover | Durham University's online interface that enables users to search across all of our resources and beyond. |
| DOI | (or Digital Object Identifier) A unique and persistent string of characters used to identify a journal article, website or other item of intellectual property, typically one in digital form e.g. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k134 |
| Embargo | A period during which access is not allowed to certain types of users. |
| Eprint | A scholarly work that has been deposited in a digital repository. |
| EZproxy | Enables off-campus access to subscribed electronic resources for current members of Durham University. |
| Full text | The complete article or book and not just the abstract or citation. |
| ISSN | (or International Standard Serial Number) A unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic periodical publication. |
| Off-campus | Any location that is not part of Durham University. This could be your home, your place of work or even overseas. |
| On-campus | Any location that is part of Durham University. |
| Open Access (OA) | Electronic resources that are freely available. |
| (or Portable Digital Format) These types of files can display document text, images and will be displayed in the authors' intended format. | |
| Permalink | A permanent web address for a specific information source such as an ebook, an article, a record in Discover, a video or a database; may also be called a stable link, durable link, persistent link, permanent link or document link. |
| Repository | An online, searchable, web-accessible database containing works of research deposited by scholars. Its purpose is to increase access to scholarship and ensure the long-term preservation of scholarly works. Digital repositories are often built to serve a specific institution's community of users, in which cases they are called institutional repositories. |
| Shibboleth | (or Institutional login) A means of accessing a resource if you go direct to the providers website. The login details are usually your CIS username and password. |
| URL | (or Uniform Resource Locator) An online address that identifies the location of a web page. |
| Username | The unique identifier given to you to access University services. This will typically take the form of abcd12 |
| Webcache | Remembers parts of pages, like images, to help them open faster during your next visit. |