Periodical Article Indexes

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Search a number of databases at one time using the Articles and Full-Text search, or go into individual databases for your searches. 

Articles and full-text searches articles, ebooks, audio files, and video files. It does not search the library catalog (print books and other physical items.)

Use the Library Catalog for print books. Also, the full-text search doesn't search all library resources. Use subject-specific databases (link to the right of Articles and Full-Text) for comprehensive or focused searching. 

Finding Articles

Periodical articles are an excellent source for detailed analysis or up-to-date information on a topic. These articles are from materials that are published "periodically" or in daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual or even irregular intervals. They are found in newspapers, magazines, journals, yearbooks, and other sources.

Periodicals are available in several formats: bound paper volumes (like books), microfiche or microfilm, and increasingly as electronic text.

Indexes and Abstracts

Periodical Indexes and Abstracts are Reference resources that identify and locate articles in periodical publications. They are often subject-oriented and list author, title, name of periodical, volume, pages and date of publication in entries called bibliographic citations. For information about bibliographic format and how to cite resources that you use in your research, go to Citing Sources.

Abstracts are specialized indexes that also include summaries of the content of the articles with their citations.

Periodical Indexes and Abstracts also come in several formats: traditional and historical bound paper volumes, stand alone CD-ROM computer workstations, and more recently as networked databases available via the Cornell University Library, or through links in the Library Catalog. For more information about finding electronic reference sources through the Cornell University Library, go to Search Tips for Databases.