Relative Usefulness of Indexing and Abstracting Services

INDEX a n d a b s t r a c t services are , w i t h o u t ques t ion , a m o n g t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t bibl i o g r a p h i c devices ava i lab le to t he scient i f ic l i b r a r y f o r t r a c k i n g d o w n c u r r e n t l y pub l ished i n f o r m a t i o n . B u t t hey have the i r l i m i t a t i o n s a n d the i r i n d i v i d u a l pecul ia r i t ies , the i r lapses a n d the i r lags. W h e t h e r or n o t these l i m i t a t i o n s m a k e a n y d i f f e r ence to t he l i b r a r y d e p e n d s u p o n the a c t u a l use to w h i c h the indexes a n d abs t r ac t s a r e p u t by t he l i b r a r y a n d its p a t r o n s . T h e l i b r a r y staff of t h e T e c h n o l o g i c a l I n s t i t u t e , N o r t h w e s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y , has j u s t c o m p l e t e d a s t u d y of severa l s t a n d a r d cu r r e n t i ndex a n d a b s t r a c t services to f ind o u t j u s t w h a t can be expec ted f r o m t h e m as a ids in p r e p a r i n g b ib l iog raph ies of r e l a t ive ly c u r r e n t l i t e r a t u r e , a n d h o w they c o m p a r e w i t h each o t h e r in t he s u b j e c t f ie lds of m o s t i n t e r e s t to th is l i b r a r y . Since t he T e c h n o logical I n s t i t u t e conce rns itself a l m o s t ent i r e ly w i t h chemis t ry , physics, a n d civil , chemica l , e lec t r ica l a n d m e c h a n i c a l engin e e r i n g , t he s t u d y w a s m a d e u s i n g those services of m o s t i n t e re s t a n d use in these p a r t i c u l a r f ields. T h e pub l i ca t ions s tud i ed w e r e Engineering Index Service ( o n ca rds , d a i l y ) , Industrial Arts Index, Chemical Abstracts, Science Abstracts A and B, British Abstracts and Nuclear Science Abstracts. No foreignl a n g u a g e i ndex or a b s t r a c t service w a s su r veyed, m a i n l y because n o n e w a s ava i l ab le f o r t he m o n t h s d u r i n g w h i c h the s t u d y w a s m a d e . Since in t e re s t w a s c e n t e r e d in t he services t h a t a re s t r i c t ly i n d e x i n g o r abs t r a c t i n g in n a t u r e , n o i ndex or a b s t r a c t sect ion of any per iod ica l w a s used . T h e f o l l o w i n g ques t ions w e r e ra ised : ( I ) H o w m u c h of a n y des i red b i b l i o g r a p h y can be ob t a ined by us ing any one of t he s t a n d a r d services? ( 2 ) H o w m u c h of any b ib l i og raphy w o u l d be missed by not u s ing any one of t he services? I n o t h e r w o r d s , h o w m a n y u n i q u e r e fe rences a re picked u p by a n y one of t he services? ( 3 ) H o w w e l l a re f o r e i g n sources c o v e r e d ? ( 4 ) H o w t h o r o u g h l y does t he service cover those j o u r n a l s i t says it c o v e r s ? ( 5 ) H o w comple t e ly does t h e service cover t he j o u r n a l s in t he f i e ld? ( 6 ) H o w p r o m p t l y does t h e service do its j o b of i n d e x i n g o r a b s t r a c t i n g ? O r , p u t a n o t h e r w a y , w h a t is t he t i m e l a g b e t w e e n the da t e the o r ig ina l a r t i c l e a p p e a r e d a n d the d a t e t he i ndex r e f e r e n c e or a b s t r a c t a p p e a r e d ? T h e s t u d y w a s m a d e on a p u r e l y p rac t i ca l basis. T h a t is, b ib l iograph ies w e r e p r e p a r e d on sub jec t s in ( o r ac ross ) t h e f ie lds of inte res t m e n t i o n e d above u s i n g t h e i ndex a n d a b s t r a c t services l is ted, j u s t as one w o u l d d o in p r e p a r i n g a n y r e q u i r e d b ib l i og raphy f o r a course , f o r pub l i ca t ion , o r f o r f u r t h e r s t u d y . F o r c o n t r o l pu rposes on ly those indexes d a t e d J a n u a r y t h r o u g h J u l y , 1949 , w e r e used, b u t (because of t he u n a v o i d a b l e t i m e l a g in r ece iv ing these pub l i ca t i ons in th is c o u n t r y , Science Abstracts A a n d B w e r e ava i l ab l e on ly t h r o u g h J u n e w h i l e