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Reference Sources: Indexes and Abstracts

A guide on the types of reference sources

Indexes and Abstracts

Indexes and abstracts lead to additional sources of periodical articles. Indexes only provide author, title, and subject information. Abstracts tend to be more descriptive. Some online index databases also include the full-text of the article.

  • General: Reader's Guide to Periodic Index, Book Review Index, Periodicals Abstracts.
  • Subject: Art Abstracts, New York Times Index, Biography Index, Chemical Abstracts.

Some examples from the Taft College Library are: