Use

The indexes are the mainstay of I & A periodicals. Without them, consultation would be difficult and uncertain. After making up your mind about a specific approach, you should consult the most suitable type of index for locating the information. The key words you are familiar within the subject may be different from the index terms used for the same concept in abstracting and indexing services. You must, therefore, be prepared to look up many alternate index terms/subject headings. There may be changes in the index terms/subject headings from one volume to another of the same abstracting and indexing periodical. Such type of vagaries have to be kept in mind. If multi-volume cumulated indexes are available, they could be used. This will save time in searching.

There is usually delay, particularly i.e. the ease of abstracting periodicals; in reporting literature after it has been published. For that reason, the indexing and abstracting periodicals cannot be expected to be up-to-date (usual time-lag is six months or more). Indexing periodicals are often of limited use as titles are not proper guides to the contents of the documents and this aspect must be kept in mind. For a complete search, some of the core primary journals may have to be consulted, through services like `Current Contents