Indexes provide a quick guide to previous issues within a specific period of time. As we can not purchase and store all possible periodicals, indexes become a vital component of Reference so that patrons can identify source information. Indexes will provide information about the author, title, source, volume number, dates, and pages of the needed item. Due to the various types of magazines, newspapers, and professional papers, there are different types and methods of indexes.
Some professional indexes, such as CINAHL, will provide a quarterly index (i.e. January-March) and at the end of the year provide a hard-bound index covering January-December. CINAHL alone indexes over 1,000 medical magazines.
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature produces a monthly index, with an annual bound edition. It indexes about 125 general-interest periodicals.
Some periodicals are not included in a compilation, and are "self indexed". The December issue includes an index of articles published January through November.
Index Search by
Index to Dental Literature (ended 2000) name, subject
First Search name, subject, keyword, Reader's Guide to Periodicals name, subject