Page 201 - DLIS007_LIBRARY AUTOMATION

Library Automation

Notes Find Instructions for using the Index. For online indexes, use HELP screens; for printed
indexes, check the introduction.

Search the Index. Look up key words or subjects in the index. Make printouts of citations
for the articles you like.
Does the Index Contain Full-text of the Articles Themselves?
If yes, then select and read those most helpful for your topic.

If no, then go to the Library home page and click on the link to the Journals List.
Search for the title of the periodical you need in this list. If it is there, follow the links.
If the Periodical is not in the Journals List, go to Goldmine and Search for the Title of the
Periodical. Make a printout of the holdings screen (volume and years owned) at the
bottom of the Goldmine screen.

Find the Right Issue of the Periodical which contains your article and note the call number
and location code to locate the periodical on the shelf.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
9. A …………………… is a type of reference source that lists periodical articles by subject or
author.
10. A periodical index is a subject listing of the articles from a selected group of
…………………….

11. If the author’s name is …………………… clicking the link will bring up citations to other
articles by the same author.

10.4 Periodical Literature

More current than books, periodicals play a different role in the research process. The variety to
viewpoints available through periodicals makes them a valuable source of information. By
nature they tend to focus on a narrower topic. A scholarly article contributes to the body of
knowledge on that topic.
The author of a book spends a good deal of time gathering and analysing information, testing
theories, and drawing conclusions. An editor then reviews the manuscript at least once and
sometimes suggests major revisions. The process of physically producing a book might take a
year or more. By the time a book is prepared, printed, purchased by a library and put on the shelf
for circulation, the information might be two or more years old.

On the other hand, the information in a newspaper might be only a few hours old, and magazines
often report on news only several days old. Many journal articles are not published until months
after being written, yet the information still tends to be more current than that in books.
Researchers should not assume that periodicals are more valuable than books because of their
currency, however. Many articles that report on timely issues and recent events lack the analysis,
the background information and the broad perspective offered in books. The need for up-to-
date information depends on the topic and on your approach to it.

Another advantage to periodicals is the variety of opinions and viewpoints readily available.
The work of writers with different backgrounds, different qualifications and different beliefs
can be found easily.

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