EXTRAS: SOME HELPFUL RESOURCES Chuck's ELI 4 class at HCC in spring 2004. SOME COMMENTS ON ONLINE DICTIONARIES Using an online dictionary isn't really that much different from using a print dictionary. When you are online, though, it is often quicker and more convenient to go to an online dictionary and type in a word or a phrase to look up than it is to pick up a print dictionary and manually look up something. Dictionaries can be general, for everyday use by average people, or they can be specialized, for use when you are working or studying in a certain area or field. General dictionaries won't usually include specialized words that are related to computers and the Internet, unless those words have been around long enough to make it into daily language. That means when you are reading about computers or the Internet, it is often necessary to use a specialized dictionary to find certain items. Also, new acronyms relating to IT (Information Technology) are appearing almost daily now, and sometimes the only place to find the meaning of an acronym in an acronym dictionary or glossary. (A typical glossary is just a list of difficult words with definitions in a particular field of knowledge that is often included at the end of a textbook.) Most people don't have a set of general dictionaries, specialized dictionaries, and glossaries in print form. Everyone who is online, however, does have access to the biggest collection of dictionaries and glossaries that have ever been available in one place. Of course, the more you use online resources, the better you get at it. Below are some selected reference books. Make your life easier by learning how to skillfully use them. SOME SELECTED ONLINE DICTIONARIES Dictionaries: Abbreviations and Acronyms Acronym & Abbreviation Meanings Acronym Finder BABEL: Computer Related Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionaries: General American Heritage Dictionary Cambridge International Dictionaries Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Dictionaries: Specialized BioTech’s Life Science Dictionary Chemistry Dictionary FOLD: Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing Glossary of Grammatical Terms Glossary of Internet Terms Math Dictionary Medical Dictionary Physical Geography - A Glossaary Physics Terms - A Glossaryy Scientific Terms - A Glossary Statistics Glossary Webopedia Computer Dictionary Webopedia Computer Dictionary - Graphics whatis.com - Glossary of Computer and Internet Terms World Wide Web Terminlogy A DIFFERENT KIND OF ONLINE DICTIONARY VoyCabulary is not actually a dictionary, but instead allows you to look up any word on an entire Web page in a dictionary that you choose . To use VoyCabulary, the first thing is to use copy-paste to paste in the URL for the Web page that you are reading. The second thing is to choose a dictionary. You will choose a general dictionary to look up words that are not specialized, or you will choose a specialized dictionary for a page that is related to a certain topic. VoyCabulary then makes a copy of the page of a Web site with the URL that you pasted in. In the copy, every word on that page is changed to a link. You can then look up any word on the page by just clicking on the word. With one click, you automatically search for the definition of the word in the dictionary that you chose. VoyCabulary SOME SITES THAT DISCUSS COPY-PASTE The most useful little technique that a computer user ever learns is "copy-paste" (or "cut-paste"). If you have been using a computer for a while, you certainly already know this. If you are still somewhat of a novice user, this is something you should learn immediately. It's easy, it's simple, and, over time, it will save you hours of keyboard work. Here are a couple of Web sites that explain how to do it. Basics of Cut and Paste Copy and Paste Instructions How to Copy a Text from One Application and Past it Into Another How to Cut and Paste How to Copy and Paste SOME SITES THAT DISCUSS PLAGIARISM AND PARAPHRASING Students from other countries who have been in the U.S. for a while are likely to already know this, but newcomers to the U.S. may not. In many college and university classes in the U.S., students are expected to write research papers on topics related to the course. To do this, students first have to go to a library and go on the Internet to find information in books, articles, and Web sites that is related to the topic. After locating the information, students put parts of that material that contains the information together into a written report that contains both the researched material and "original" ideas of the student. Each piece of information that comes from an article or a book can be quoted in the student's research paper or it can be paraphrased into the student's "own words." No matter what form is used when that information is used in a student's report, each quote or each paraphrase must include information about where it came from. A writer has to cite the source of the information, that is, tell where it came from. If citations are not used, the instructor of the course will reject the paper and accuse the writer of plagiarism. (To plagiarize is to use ideas and information from outside sources in a report, and not clearly state, in the report, where the information came from.) Plagiarism is considered a very, very bad thing in an American classroom, and to be called a plagiarist by a teacher is something one wants to avoid, if one wants to pass a course. Using the copy and paste technique on a computer does not mean that you can copy and plagiarize. Always remember that when you are writing a report, and using information in the report that you found on the Internet or in a library, you absolutely must cite the sources. To avoid plagiarism, learn as much as you can about it. Here are a few Web sites that discuss plagiarism and paraphrasing. Avoiding Plagiarism - UC Davis Avoiding Plagiarism - Purdue University Plagiarism - California State University Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It - Indiana State What isPlagiarism? Paraphrase: Restating Ideas In Your Own Words - Arizona State Paraphrasing Steps and Ideas - Oregon State University The Puzzling Paraphrase SAVING BOOKMARKS OR FAVORITES People with a little online experience already know this. People who are just beginning to go online learn it very quickly. It is very useful to bookmoark (or to make favorites of) the Web sites that you especially like or sites that you often visit. ("To bookmark" or "to make a favorite" is to save the address, the URL, of a Web site, so that you can easily revisit the site later. ) A bookmark, or a favorite, is your direct link to a Web site. Bookmarks are usually saved and kept on your computer in your browser, that is, in Internet Explorer or in Netscape. You can also keep your bookmarks online. That allows you to access them from any computer in the world that is connected to the Internet. Sign up at this great, free Web site, and then you can save your bookmarks online. MyBookmarks