Two Types of Indexes/Databases - General

1. General Indexes

• Is your topic general or cross-disciplinary?
• Currently in the news?

If your research needs meet the criteria above, it is best to start with a general index. These cover a wide range of subjects and often index a combination of popular and scholarly sources.  Examples of general indexes and the kinds of articles they identify include:

	Academic Search Elite (EBSCO) indexes articles from magazines and journals on a range of topics from 1984 to the present. Many resources are available in full text.
	Newsstand (ProQuest) indexes full text articles for over 450 U.S. and international newspapers and is updated daily.
	Periodical Abstracts (FirstSearch) indexes articles from magazines and newspapers on many topics from 1987 to the present. Many resources are available in full text.