Definition: INDEX - Gives access to smaller segments of whole items (chapters of books or articles in journals). Usually takes the form of electronic databases or printed books.
The most recent, as well as the most detailed, information on questions you wish to research are often found in scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals.
Indexes
Topics in periodicals are accessible through the use of a myriad of types and forms of indexes. These can be found on-line, on CD-ROM, or in paper and can be general or topical indexes. The library subscribes to over 100 paper indexes, over 30 CD-ROM indexes and has access to over 500 indexes on-line through Dialog, First Search and others.
In many of the CD-ROM and On-line indexes you can choose what fields you see.
Some indexes like (like Humanities Index or Social Science Index) provide you with full bibliographic information with each entry:
Japan's new generation of writers. E Sakurai. World Lit Today
62:403-7 Summ '88
Other indexes (like Historical Abstracts) provide the bibliographic information and a short abstract or summary of the article. Several steps may be involved to reach this final information.
Sample from Historical Abstracts:
subject index:
China. Demography. Family. Japan. Population. 17c-19c. 4926 China. Elites. Modernization. 1860-1911. 4933 China. Family. Kinship. 2c. BC-20c. 4938 China. Fiction, historical. Guan Suo (fictionalcharacter). Luo Guanzhong. Sanguo Zhi Yanyi. Sanguo Zhi Zhuan. Wu po (term). 211-17c. 4957 citation:
38A:4938 2cBC-20c
Ebrey, Patricia. FAMILY AND KINSHIP IN CHINESE HISTORY.
Trends in History 1985 3(3-4): 151-162. Because the Chinese family system is so different from the Western one, studies of Chinese families and kinship rely on anthropological and sociological theories rather than theories developed for the study of Western families.
See also Online Assisted Research
Finding the Periodical
Once you have located a title, you will need to see if Tutt Library holds that periodical. To find a periodical it is important to have the Journal Name, Volume, Number, Date, and Page Number(s). There are two ways to check if Tutt has the periodical you want. One is to check that title against the Tutt Periodical Holdings List. These lists are located through out the index and CD-ROM section. The other is to check the Tiger catalog. Do a Title search for the title of the journal, not the title of the article.
The Holdings List provides you with the periodical's location and format. Most periodicals are located on the second floor in one of three places, bound periodicals, current periodicals, or microfilm/microfiche. The microfiche and microfilm are located in cabinets in an alcove on the second floor north. Bound and current periodicals are located around the perimeter of the second floor north.
Periodicals are shelved in alphabetical order in all formats (paper or microform). A few periodicals may be located in other locations like Government Documents or Special Collections.
Sample page from periodical holdings list:
Tutt Library, Colorado College 1991 Catalog of Serials
JOURNAL OF ASIAN AND AFRICAN STUDIES
HOLDINGS: Paper: v6- 1971-
LOCATION: Current and Bound Periodicals
INDEXED: ABA, HAB
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maintained by Krystyna
Mrozek ; last revised, 8-9-02,
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