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 The periodicals collection contains newspapers, periodicals, journals, newsletters, and trade publications. The collection which supports the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences is housed on the ground floor of McGill Library and the collection which supports the natural sciences and mathematics is housed in the Periodical Area of Mack Science Library. These sources are available in a variety of  formats: unbound issues, bound volumes, microfilm, microfiche, and electronic (online). The bound and unbound periodicals are in call number order on open shelves and the microform collections are in call number order in microform cabinets. Because of  their bulk, newspapers are kept for a limited time only and then are either replaced by microfilm or discarded. These materials should not leave the periodical area and do NOT circulate.


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Periodical articles are found in scholarly journals, trade publications, and popular magazines.  While all three types of publications may contain articles on a given topic, the language, authority, and intended audience is distinct, one from the other.  Below are general characteristics you may use to differentiate among the types of articles.
  Scholarly Journal Articles Popular Magazine Articles
Always include bibliography/reference list Do not include bibliography/reference list
Authors are identified as experts in field Authors are often on staff of publication
Language is technical Language is non-technical
Report original research or experimentation Inform or entertain the general public
Articles in periodicals are identified by searching by subject in one of the many periodical indexes in the Libraries. Some of these indexes can be found online via the Electronic Resources page, while others are housed in the Reference Room of McGill Library or in the Periodicals Area of Mack Library. Indexes may cover one subject area (e.g., Art Index, Biological Abstracts) or numerous subject areas (e.g., Academic Search Elite).



Back to Handbook Home Format Key : Electronic Resource Print Resource

Resource Title Format Location of Print Titles
ACS Journal Archives  
ACS Web Editions  
Abstracts in Anthropology McGill - Periodicals GN1 .A15
Abstracts of English Studies McGill - PE25 .A16 Ref STORAGE
Academic Search Elite (EBSCOhost)  
America: History & Life  
American History Online (formerly Landmark Docs)  
American Humanities Index  
Annual Bibliography of English Language & Literature McGill - Ref Z2011 .M69
Annual Reviews  
APA Journal Articles Direct  
Art Index McGill - Ref Z5937 .A78
Arts & Humanities Citation Index  
ATLA Religion Database  
ATLA Serials  
Bibliographic Index: 1960/1962-June 2003 McGill - Ref Z1002 .B595
Biographies Plus  
Biography Index: 1946/1949-June 2003 McGill - Ref Z5301 .B5
Biological Abstracts: 1926-2000 Mack - Index Range 2-3
BIOSIS Previews  
Book Review Digest McGill - Ref Z1219 .C95
Book Review Index McGill - Ref Z1035 .A1 B6
Books in Print with Reviews
 
Business Full Text  
Business Periodicals Index: 1958-Aug. 1982 McGill - Ref Z7164 .C81 B983
Business Source Elite  
CIAO(Columbia International Affairs Online)  
Child Development Abstracts: 1980-2001 McGill - Ref HQ750.A1 C47 STO
College Student Personnel Abstracts (title changed
to Higher Education Abstracts)
McGill - Ref Z5814 .P8 C66
Communication Abstracts McGill - Ref P87 .C59733
Current Contents: Agriculture, Biology, &
Environmental Science
Mack - Index Range 1
Current Contents: Life Sciences Mack - Index Range 1
Education Full Text  
Education Index: 1929/1930-June 2003 McGill - Ref Z5813 .E23
Educational Administration Abstracts  
Environmental Abstracts Annual: 1975-2006 Mack - Index Range 1
ERIC  
Essay & General Literature Index:
   1900/1903-June 2003
McGill - Ref AI3 .E75
Ethnic Newswatch  
Film & Television Literature Index
 
Film Literature Index (1995-2004) McGill - Ref Z5784 .M9 F45
GenderWatch  
General Sciences Full Text  
Higher Education Abstracts McGill - Ref. Z5814 .P8 C66
Historical Abstracts  
Humanities Full Text  
Humanities Index: 1974-Mar. 1985 McGill - Ref AI3 .H8
International Index to Periodicals: 1907-Mar. 1965 McGill - Ref AI3 .R49
JSTOR (Arts & Sciences I)  
Language Teaching Abstracts McGill - PB35 .L32 Ref. STORAGE
Lexis-Nexis Academic  
Library Literature: 1958-1986 McGill - Ref Z666 .S211
Library Literature  
LISTA  
MathSciNet  
MEDLINE  
Mergent Online (US & International Company Data)  
MLA International Bibliography  
Monthly Catalog of U. S. Government Publications  
Music Index McGill - Ref ML118 .M84
New York Theatre Critic's Reviews McGill - Ref PN2000 .N76
New York Times Index: 1851-2005 McGill - Ref AI21 .N44
Palmer's Index to the Times Newspaper McGill - AI21 .T5 Ref. STORAGE
Philosopher's Index (1940-2006) McGill - Ref Z7127 .P45x
POIESIS  
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature McGill - AI3 .P7 Ref. STORAGE
Project MUSE (Standard Collection)

 

PROLA

 

ProQuest Newspapers  
PsychINFO Direct  
Reader's Guide Full Text  
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature:
      1900-Feb. 1983
McGill - Ref AI3 .R4
Religion Index One McGill - Ref Z7753 .A5
Science Citation Index  
ScienceDirect College Edition  
SciFinder Scholar 
 
Social Sciences Citation Index  
Social Sciences Full Text  
Social Sciences Index: 1974/1975-Mar. 1983 McGill - Ref AI3 .S61
Sociological Abstracts  
Ulrich's Periodical Directory  
Wall Street Journal Index: 1965-2005

McGill - Ref HG1 .W26

Web of Science  
Women Studies Abstracts McGill - Ref Z7962 .W65
Year's Work in Critical & Cultural Theory McGill - Ref PN80 .Y43
Year's Work in English Studies McGill - Ref PE58 .E6
Year's Work in Modern Language Studies McGill - Ref PB1 .Y45