Print Indexes

What is a print index?

A printed periodical index is a listing of citations to articles from magazines and journals. Indexes are organized alphabetically by subjects and/or authors. Each index covers a date range, with citations to articles published during that time period. Additional information, such as the periodicals indexed, abbreviations, sample entries and directions for use, may be found at the front of an index.

What is an article citation?

A citation is the information that identifies an article published in a magazine, journal or newspaper. Parts of a citation include:

  • title of the article
  • author name
  • name of the magazine or journal
  • volume, issue and page number
  • date
  • abbreviations which mean that the article includes illustrations, portraits, graphs, tables, or a bibliography

Finding articles

Print indexes are arranged alphabetically by subject. Some subjects have subheadings, indented under the subject, which focus on a narrower aspect of the topic. A "See" or "See also" reference suggests other subject headings.
A sample entry from a print index is shown below. This article is about the ethical aspects of human cloning.

Sample periodical citation

After finding a citation, check in the "Victor Valley College Periodical, Microfilm and Infotrac Holdings" list to see if the periodical is available in our library. Note that some indexes abbreviate the periodical name in the citation; a listing of abbreviations of periodicals at the front of the index will give the full title.

Which index to use?

Indexes may cover a broad range of general interest subjects or may cover a specific subject or discipline. The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, for example, indexes popular magazines of general interest. Subject specific indexes cover a particular topic, such as nursing, science or business, and usually index scholarly journals and professional periodicals, as well as some magazines. (See the library's web page on scholarly journals for information on the differences between scholarly journals, professional periodicals, and magazines.)
Examples of subject specific indexes are:

  • Applied Science & Technology Index
  • Book Review Digest
  • Book Review Index
  • Business Periodicals Index
  • Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)
  • Education Index
  • Social Sciences Index (includes anthropology, community health & medicine, economics, geography, international relations, law, political science, psychology, public administration & social work)

Remember that print indexes cover periodicals published during a specific time period. Print indexes are useful for finding articles published prior to the 1980s, since electronic databases do not cover older periodicals. (See the library's Databases for electronic periodical indexes.) The print indexes are located on the Index Tables on the upper floor of the library.

Victor Valley College Library
Last Modified: October 8, 2006