ABSTRACT
A. GLOSSARY OF SIGNIFICANT TERMS https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table"> ACCESS POINT A name, term, code, etc., under which a bibliographic record may be searched and identified. AUTHORITY FILE A file that contains records of the authorized form of corporate body, meeting and conference names; and uniform title, geographic, series, and subject headings. Cross references and notes are usually included where appropriate. Such records in an automated authority file may or may not be linked to the bibliographic data base. BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD The logically related data elements which collectively represent the information concerning a bibliographic work. BIBLIOGRAPHIC UNIT A logical segment of the publication sequence of a serial as designated by the publisher, e.g. an issue, edition, etc. BIBLIOGRAPHIC UTILITY An organization that maintains large on-line bibliographic data bases and provides products and services related to these bases to its customers/members. BOOLEAN OPERATORS AND, OR, NOT, NOR. These operators are a technique for customizing a search request by combining or excluding characters, words, and numbers. CAPTION A word attached as a prefix to the enumerative data describing its type, e.g. volume, tome, Band, etc. CENTRAL SERIALS RECORD A total serials holdings record of a library system, usually in one sequence, consisting of an enumerative statement of current issues, consolidated into summarized information concerning volumes and years held, to provide a retrospective volume-by-volume inventory. Combined with acquisition, claiming, processing and binding data, such a record presents the optimum for institutional control of serials. CHRONOLOGY The dating system or systems used by the publisher to identify the individual bibliographic unit, e.g. nominal date, date of coverage, date of publication, etc. COMMUNICATIONS FORMAT A format generally accepted by a number of data processing facilities for the purpose of transferring data or records from one centre to another in a consistent manner. COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL A formal set of conventions governing the format and relative timing of message exchanges between two computers. CORPORATE BODY An organization or group of persons that is identified by a particular name and that acts, or may act, as an entity. Typical examples of corporate bodies are associations, institutions, business firms, non-profit enterprises, government agencies, religious bodies, local churches and conferences. DATA ELEMENT A distinguishable, defined unit of information. DISPLAY The presentation of data for human interpretation. ENUMERATION The numerical system or systems used by the publisher on the bibliographic unit to distinguish one unit from another, one volume from another, etc. FIELD A specified area in a record used for a particular category of data, e.g. location of title proper or ISSN information. FORMAT (a) Any particular physical presentation of a bibliographic entity. FORMAT (b) (Machine-readable data files). A predetermined order or arrangement of data in a record. GAP A break in the sequence of enumeration and/or chronology of a serial holding indicating a volume, issue or date not held. GENERAL MATERIAL DESIGNATION A term indicating the broad class of material to which an item belongs, e.g. microform, sound recording, etc. HARDWARE Physical computer equipment. HEADING A name, word, or phrase placed at the head of a catalogue entry to provide an access point in the catalogue. HOLDINGS STATEMENT A record of the bibliographic units of a specific serial held by a specific institution or collection. KEY-TITLE The unique name assigned to a serial by the International Serials Data System. MAGNETIC TAPE A tape with a magnetic surface on which machine-readable data, such as records in the MARC-Serials format, can be stored. MARC-SERIALS FORMAT A machine-readable cataloguing and exchange format for serials data, developed by the Library of Congress. MICROFICHE A sheet of film bearing a number of micro-images in two-dimensional array. MICROFILM A length of film bearing a number of microimages in linear array. MICROFORM A generic term for any medium, transparent or opaque, bearing micro-images. MICROFORM MASTER One which is used only to make copies and from which single copies are normally available for purchase at any time. MICROFORM PRESERVATION MASTER One which meets the definition of a master microform, but is usually housed in a temperature-controlled, fire-proof place. MICROFORM SERVICE COPY One which is made available for use by readers. MONOGRAPH A non-serial item, i.e. an item either complete in one part or complete, or intended to be completed, in a finite number of separate parts. NOMINAL DATE The date associated with identification data for a volume, issue, etc. ON-LINE Direct user interrogation of, or input to, the computer containing the data base, via a terminal and a telephone line. REFERENCE A direction from one heading or entry to another. ROMANIZATION Conversion of names or text not written in the Roman alphabet to Roman alphabet form. SEARCH KEY A unique set of characters, formed by following a specific rule, input via a terminal to conduct a search. SERIAL See APPENDIX I for definition. SOFTWARE The control programmes or instructions used to make a computer perform its intended functions. TERMINAL A device for sending and receiving information over a communication channel, often equipped with a television picture tube to display data visually. TITLE PROPER The chief name of a serial including any alternative title, but excluding parallel titles and other title information. UNIFORM TITLE A title used to identify a serial, to file it, and to link its bibliographic segments, when its title proper is identical to the title proper of another serial in the same catalogue or data base. COM Computer-output-microform. CONSER Conversion of Serials Project. CRT Cathode ray tube. A terminal with a television picture tube to display information visually.
