Indexes to Periodical Literature

Definition

An index is a tool used to collect journal articles and categorize them according to certain subjects.  A good example of an index is the one that appears at the back of a book.  This type of index tells what information is contained within the work and gives a page number where the information can be located.  An index to journal literature functions in much the same way and will enable a user to find journal articles pertaining to a particular subject.

There are two kinds of indexes and, within those separate kinds, there are two types of indexes.

Kinds

1. Print
2. Electronic

Types

1. General - covers all subject areas (ex: Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature - print; EBSCO's Academic Search Premier - electronic)
2. Subject-specific - covers a specific subject (ex: Psychological Abstracts – psychology; ERIC – education)

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