UniPrep: Glossary

An eBook is an electronic or online version of a book that can be read on a computer, phone, or tablet. The ECU Library has many eBooks available to borrow. You can find them by searching our catalogue - ECU Worldsearch.

The eLab is a computer lab for ECU students that has both PCs and Macs. It holds over 100 computer programs that support the courses taught at ECU. Printing, scanning and photocopying facilities are also available in the eLabs on all of our campuses. You can access an eLab 24-hours a day 7 days a week with your ECU student card.

Eduroam is a wireless (Wi-Fi) network that allows you to use your ECU login details to connect to wireless (Wi-Fi) services at educational institutions around the world.

Your electives are any units within Edith Cowan University which you "elect" (choose) to study. If you have completed all of the units that comprise your majors, your minors and your core units, you will be able to choose electives to make up the required credit points for your degree. Not all courses have room for electives. There is no restriction on what unit you choose as an elective, provided it doesn't have a prerequisite attached to it and provided you do not exceed the maximum number of first year units (level 1) allowed for your course. Please check with the Student Hub for your specific course requirements. Many majors have 'recommended electives' which give you a greater understanding of your area of study. Check the Online Handbook or contact the Student Hub to find out if there are elective units suggested for your major.

Also known as eResource or Online Resource. Like eBooks, these are any kind of resource you can find online or digitally. Videos, images, websites, online learning, programs and apps, etc.

An encumbrance is a restriction placed on your course record which prevents you accessing University services. The two main types of encumbrance are: Administrative Encumbrance – due to non-payment of your tuition fees, not submitting your tax file number, failing to return university equipment or non-completion of the online Academic Integrity Module in your first study period. The second is an Academic Encumbrance – due to unsatisfactory academic progress.

End-text references are the references at the end of a written work organised in alphabetical ordered list to give credit to all the ideas and information used in a written work.

EndNote is a computer program that manages references. It allows, you to create a personalised database of references for use in managing your bibliographies and references.

An enquiries desk is the first service point for general enquiries, questions, and directions to library collections or other library services.

An essay is a written work, usually sharing information about a specific topic. At university you may be tasked to write essays for assignments or exams.

Full-time study is when you're enrolled in 45 credit points or more. This is generally three or more units per semester. 

Full Text is a term used when looking at journal articles and research. If an article is labelled Full Text, it means you can read the complete version of it, which will be available in Microsoft Word, HTML, or PDF format. If it's not Full Text, you will only be able to read an Abstract or Table of Contents.

Fines are fees charged for lost, damaged or overdue items borrowed from the Library. Please try to return your items on time to avoid this. If you can't for whatever reason, please call or email us and let us know.

A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms/words, usually to do with a specific topic, with definitions or explanations. Usually glossaries are found in the back of a book to give words and phrases in the book meaning.

A hard copy is the printed paper copy of document or picture. Hard copy as opposed to digital copy.

The High Use collection is a group of books that are used a lot by students. Because of the lots of people want to use them, they have a short borrowing time of only 3 hours so that everyone gets an opportunity to borrow them.

A hold is a reservation of a library item, that can be made online, via phone call or in person. Holds also guarantee that a book will be saved for you and unable to be borrowed by anyone else, as long as nobody else has placed a hold on it. When it is available you will be notified by the Library so you can come pick it up.

A publication containing information about varied topics that are pertinent to general information, a geographic area, or a specific subject matter (i.e. business, culture, education). Often published daily.

Nonfiction is any piece of writing that is based in reality and facts. Any writing that is based in the real world and covers real topics is nonfiction.

Courses or resources that are available to students which are delivered via the internet. Courses may include online lectures, discussion forums, chat rooms and team projects. Online resources include eBooks, eJournals etc.

Items that have not been returned to the library by due date.

Scientific information that is provided freely, with no restriction, via the internet.

Orientation is a free program of activities to help you get ready to study as a new ECU student. Participating in Orientation will help you familiarise yourself with our university and discover important information about your course.

Paraphrasing is a different or shorter way of saying something. Re-writing something in your own words.

Part-time study is when you're enrolled in less than 45 credit points. This is generally one or two units per semester.

Peer review is the process that happens before scholarly articles and books are published. Drafts of publications have to be submitted by authors to be reviewed and evaluated by experts in the field to ensure the quality of an information prior to accepting it for publication.

A periodical is a publication that is released at regular times (ie daily or weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly). Examples include newspapers, magazines, and journals.

Plagiarism is knowingly or unknowingly using the ideas or writings of another person as your own work, without referencing or giving appropriate credit.

Primary sources are original works or record of events. Primary sources include statistical data, diaries, oral histories, interviews, government documents, computer programs, diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation, etc. These are recorded as the event is happening.

A publication is a written work like a book or a journal that has been published or released, usually to be sold.

A reading list is a list of the recommended and essential readings for a course, ie the books you need for your studies.

A reference list is a list of sources you have citied/credited within your work. It is intended to give your readers or audience all the information they need to find those sources.

When you use someone else’s research or information to back up your arguments in an essay or article, you quote the relevant information and then credit/reference the person or company that provided the information.

A report is a formal summary of research or events. You may be given an assignment to write a report.

Research methodology is a set of rules or procedures that a certain research topic or discipline follows.

A room booking is a reservation to use a Study Room on a specific day for a specific period of time.

A library catalogue is a record with detailed descriptions and locations of all materials (books, videos, journal, films, audio recordings, etc.) held by the library. The list can be searched to find what you need. Our Catalogue is the ECU Worldsearch found on the Library Homepage.

A citation is a short description of an item (book, article, video or audio recording, etc.) that has been quoted or referred to. A complete citation usually has an author, year, title, and publication information such as publisher or URL.

Copyright is a series of laws that protects peoples original creations, such as written works, images, photos, art, music, etc. It protects these things from being copied, changed, stolen, or used without the creator's permission, or without crediting the creator.

Core units are compulsory units you have to complete as part of your course. You will find information about core units for your course in the ECU Handbook or by contacting the Student Hub.

We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. These are called credit points. Most Bachelor's degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points – that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.

A call number is a group of numbers and letters given to an item on the library catalogue and that appears on the spine of a book or bound periodical. This combination of numbers and letters indicates the subject content of a book and helps to locate a book in a library.

The Studio focuses on providing the ECU community access to new and emerging technologies including robotics, and virtual reality. It is located at the Mt Lawley Library.

A database is an organised collection/list of information stored electronically that can be searched. Databases can be general, or they can focus on a topic. For example, ProQuest is a medical database that has journals on medical topics.

A DOI is the method of identifying online material such as journal articles, books and reports. It provides a persistent unique link to the electronic form of the document and is made up of letters and numbers.

A due date is the date when the borrowed items must be returned to the library. If they aren't returned by this date then they are overdue and you may be charged a fine. Log into My Account on the Library Homepage to view your borrowed items.

An ID Card or Identification Card/Student Card is a card containing your name and photo, your student number plus a barcode. Student ID card is a starting point for: borrowing items from the library, releasing your printing jobs, get access to buildings which you are permitted to use. It's also your Smartrider for public transport.

An In-text reference is a short reference to credit ideas in the middle of your assignments. Once you write a quote or an idea used from somewhere else, you include an in-text reference at the end of this quote/idea. Usually the in-text reference has the name of the author and the year that the information came out.

International Standard Book Number, (ISBN) is unique 10 or 13 digit number assigned to each book published and clearly identifies one specific version of a book or item. If you are looking for a specific edition or copy of a book, you can input the ISBN into a search to locate it.

Also known as International Standard Serial Number. An ISSN is similar to an ISBN, but found more often on newspapers, magazines, journals, and some books. It is usually 8 digits/numbers long.

A journal is a newspaper or magazine that covers a specific subject or research topic, for example: Journals are released or published "periodically", or on a frequent basis. Sometimes weekly or monthly or 4 times a year, etc.

Keywords are words or terms that indicate the main topics discussed in an article or book and are often used as a search term. When your lecturer gives you a test, quiz, essay, assignment, etc. It's always important to try to find the keywords in the sentence to help you understand how to answer the question or write about the topic.

Lectures create an opportunity to teach a large number of students at the same time. However, lectures don't teach you all you need to know about a subject. You're expected to add to your learning from lectures with your own study and participating in tutorials, workshops, etc.

A libguide is a guide that Library Staff write to help you with your university studies. These guides help with referencing, research, writing assignments, and even how to use the library.

A literature review is an article that shares all current knowledge on a topic.

A LMS is a web-based Learning Management System, for example Blackboard or Canvas.

A loan is another word for borrowing an item, such as borrowing a book from the Library. The term "On loan" means the book is not in the library because it has been borrowed.

A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree.

Any information resource that presents information using more than one media (text, image, graphics, audio, or video)

Media is non-print materials such as video and audio (DVD, CD)

A magazine is a publication, issued on a regular basis and which contains popular articles, written and illustrated in a less technical manner than the articles found in a journal.

Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor.

Scholarly is something that has been researched or created by academic researchers, such as professors and doctors.

Secondary Sources are one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis.

The Student Guild is run by students for students just like you. You automatically become a member of the Guild when you enrol – and it's free. Your Student Guild ensures that the University Administration is aware of student concerns and issues, such as protecting student rights, and offers assistance, services and support throughout your university life.

Your Student Portal is your personal homepage on the ECU website, allowing you to access Blackboard, SIMO, web mail, the library, a list of your enrolled units and other university information and services. Select Student/Staff Portal from the ECU Homepage, then login using your ECU login ID and password.

A Table of Contents is a list of chapters or sections in a book, report, essay, or other written paper. You can usually find this after the title page, but before the main content. It helps you to find certain chapters or pages that you would like to visit.

Turnitin is an assignment submission software. Turnitin matches the text within an assignment by comparing a student's submission against an archive of internet documents, internet data, a repository of previously submitted papers, and subscription repository of periodicals, journals, and publications, checking for plagiarism.

In most units you will be required to attend tutorials (also referred to as tutes). Usually there are about 20 students per tutorial group. The nature of tutorials will vary from tutor to tutor and subject to subject.

A URL is a link/address of a specific web page or file on the internet.

Written assessments are assignments that involve writing. This can include essays and reports. Assessments enable your lecturer or tutor to see how well you are achieving the unit outcomes. Through your assessments your lecturer/tutor can provide you with feedback that can help you to improve your performance. Your work can also be given a score/grade.