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Unit 10: Library Automation in Periodicals Section

The “source” of the article “School literacy: the real ABC’s” is the periodical Phi Delta Kappan. Notes
The article appears in volume 72, issue number 4 which had the date December 1991. The article
appears on pages 300 through 304 of Phi Delta Kappan.
Finally, here is an example of a typical citation from a printed index:
The sound and sense of poetry. M. Sagan. il. The Writer. 104 (9):23–26. Oct. 1991.
The title of the article is “The sound and sense of poetry”, the author is M. Sagan, and the article
is illustrated (IL.). The title of the periodical in which this article appears is The Writer, in
volume 104, number 9, on pages 23 through 26, with the date of October, 1991.
Indexes will provide explanations of their formats and any abbreviations used. Check HELP
screens in a computer-based index or in a printed index; look for help in the introduction,
usually at the beginning of each volume.

10.3.4 Special Features of Some Online Indexes

Following are the special features of some online indexes:
Abstracts: An abstract is simply a summary of the key points of an article. Skimming
abstracts can save time in the search process and help you hone in on the most relevant
articles.
Full-text: Many online indexes now provide the full-text of the article along with the
citation. This feature can save hours of time searching the library for the article in the print
copy of the periodical, or trying to obtain the periodical through interlibrary loan.
Hyperlinks: Some online citations include hyperlinks. If the author’s name is hyperlinked,
clicking the link will bring up citations to other articles by the same author. Hyperlinked
subject headings can be especially helpful in finding similar articles on your topic.

10.3.5 Special Tip for Using Print Indexes

Most print indexes use many abbreviations, especially of periodical titles. Fortunately, most
indexes explain their abbreviations in the introductory pages. Many periodicals have similar
titles which are easily confused. For example, does the abbreviation “Chem Ind” refer to the
title Chemical Industries or to Chemical and Industry? If you don’t look up the abbreviation,
you will have difficulty searching for the periodical in the library catalogue.
If you can’t find a list of abbreviations in the index you are using, publications such as, Periodical
Title Abbreviations: By Abbreviation (call number PN4832 P47 READY REF) can help.

Notes READY REF (the location code) indicates that this book is located in the Ready
Reference collection.

10.3.6 Steps in Finding a Periodical Article

Following are the steps of finding a periodical article:

Choose and Define a Topic. Make a list of subjects or keywords that describe your topic.
Choose an Appropriate Index (ask a reference librarian, get recommendations from
professors or for more recent articles use online indexes listed on the library’s Resources
by Subject page.)

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