ABSTRACT
Effective literature searches require an understanding of their specific functions as well as an understanding of how to use identification tools, particularly indexes and abstracts. A typical bibliography is self-contained and simple to use, even for the first time, but indexes and abstracts can present problems even to the most experienced users. A traditional index, such as the Humanities Index or the Social Sciences Index, requires a simple one-step method to gain access to its contents. Citations in indexes, like catalog records, also include additional information useful for evaluating the document and, consequently, for determining whether the document is of interest. The subject index is designed to provide subject access to the sources and their bibliographies. In contrast to traditional indexes in which subject headings are assigned to articles, this subject index employs a computerized keyword-in-title approach. Computerized indexes can be prepared and published more quickly, resulting in fewer time lags between the publication of an article and its index.
