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Module
3 - Databases - Periodical Indexes |
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Periodical Indexes
Just as an index at the back of a book lets
you quickly go to a topic within the book,
online databases rapidly sort through thousands
of records to identify articles or books
on a topic. Choosing an appropriate database is
an essential part of research.
While some are general indexes, most library databases specialize in a particular
subject. For example, there are databases for education, psychology, engineering
and architecture – virtually
every academic discipline! Some also allow you to search by type of material,
such as images, or limit to only to scholarly articles.
Not all databases index far enough back,
so you may have to use a print index to find
information in the earlier years of a publication.
Remember, however, that periodical indexes
identify material which has been published.
It is not always available in the
Stanford University
Libraries' collections.
Periodical indexes are a great way
to find information because:
- they usually cover specific subjects
- they are structured for finding information
more precisely
- they index information which has gone
through an editorial review process
- you can access many of them via the Web
- they offer citations to
journals and magazines, many abstracts,
and often links to the full-text
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