Locating Journal Articles

Periodical Indexes (electronic and print resources)

Please note that electronic resources are only accessible from within the Library. You can find dedicated computers located in Room 315, the Public Catalog Room and the Rose Main Reading Room, as well as in many of the divisions throughout the Library. For a complete listing of electronic resources available, please visit the Selected Electronic Resources page.

ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials. This resource contains citations to articles, books, and book reviews from journals specializing in religion, church history, and theology; the full text is supplied for many articles. Coverage varies according to publication, although most date from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; articles are mainly in English with some in other major European tongues.

Index to Jewish Periodicals. This definitive index on Jewish history, thought, and activity, provides a comprehensive guide to English-language articles, book reviews, and feature stories in nearly 200 journals devoted to Judaic studies. It is available electronically throughout the Library and in print format in the Jewish Division. Please note that the print index commences in 1963, and the electronic version in 1988.

The Catholic Periodical Index was published from 1930 through 1966 and was superseded by The Catholic Periodical and Literature Index published from 1967 to the present. This is available in print format only. The Catholic Periodical Index is under the call number of JFM 07-47 and The Catholic Periodical and Literature Index is under the call number of JFM 07-48. A related resource is The Guide to Catholic Literature, published from 1888 through 1967; it is less comprehensive than the other indexes, but ought to be consulted for a thorough search of a given topic. Its call number is JFM 95-558. These indexes provide a key to Roman Catholic activity and thought; although some of the periodicals indexed may also be found in the ATLA Religion Database with ATLA Serials, others are unique to these sources.

Researchers are advised to consult Selected Electronic Resources to locate other databases of use to them. (link to the Selected Electronic Resources menu) The following are especially recommended:

EBSCO Research Databases; Philosopher’s Index; Index to Christian Art; America: History and Life; Historical Abstracts; America’s Historical Newspapers; ProQuest Historical Database; American Periodical Series Online; Readers’ Guide Retro; Nineteenth Century Masterfile (which includes Poole’s Index to Periodical Literature, 1802-1906); and the electronic databases for newspapers. (link to the individual databases)