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Last revised: August 2008

Scientific Journal Lists and Abbreviations

Scope: The following print and electronic resources can be used to verify the proper name of a journal or other serial* title. They are especially useful when only partial information about a journal, e.g. abbreviated or partial title, publisher, or ISSN** number, is known. This Guide is divided into General resources that cover journals in a wide range of subject areas and Subject Specific sources that are limited to verifying journals in defined subject areas.

*As defined by the Library of Congress National Serials Data Program: "Print or non-print publications issued in parts, usually bearing issue numbers and/or dates, and expected to continue indefinitely." Serials include magazines, journals, newspapers, annuals, memoirs, proceedings, transactions of societies, and monographic series.

**International Standard Serial Number: An unique eight digit number assigned to a journal/serial in the format xxxx-xxxx.

Email the subject area specialist at jmiller2(@.umd.edu) or call (301)405-9152 for more information.

All That JAS (Journal Abbreviation Sources)
Comprehensive registry of web resources providing full title access of journal abbreviations. Subject categories include: General, Agriculture, Anthropology, Aquatic Sciences, Astronomy, Biosciences, Business/Economics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Law, Materials Science, Mathematics, Medicine, Philosophy, Physics, and Veterinary Medicine. Originally compiled by Gerry McKiernan, Science and Technology Librarian and Bibliographer, Iowa State University Library.
LOCATION: http://www.abbreviations.com/jas.asp

Journal Citation Reports
Includes information on over 8,400 journals in many specialty areas of science, technology, and social sciences. Can search for a specific journal by abbreviated title, title words, or ISSN, or browse groups of journals by subject, publisher, or country.

PubList.com, The Internet Directory of Publications
Database of over 150,000 domestic and international print and electronic publications including magazines, journals, e-journals, and newsletters. Select "Partial Word" and search on abbreviated title to locate full journal title. Can also search on ISSN, subject, or publisher.

The Standard Periodical Directory. Annual. New York: Oxbridge Communications, 1964- .
Information on over 75,000 North American periodicals. Access by subject and title only.
LOCATION: MCKREF STACKS (latest edition), MCK Periodical Stacks, ENGIN REF (latest edition only)
CALL NUMBER: Z6951.S78

Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory UM only
The standard directory for journal information, although does not provide abbreviated title. Main access is by title, ISSN, or subject. In online version select the Search button at the top of the page to limit search by, among other things, type of serial, year, and online availability.
Also Print LOCATION: MCK Ready Reference (latest edition only); ENGIN REF (latest edition only) CALL NUMBER: Z6941.U5

WorldCat UM only
The OCLC online union catalog, containing over 60,000,000 records of OCLC member libraries from around the world. To locate full journal title search by Keyword on the abbreviated title. Can also search by ISSN using the Standard Number field from the pull-down menu and by title word(s).

General Resources

Acronyms, Initialisms and Abbreviations Dictionary. Detroit, MI: Gale Research.
LOCATION: MCKREF (Latest Edition), EPSL REF (2005), CHEM REF (1999), Shady Grove REF (1995)
CALL NUMBER: PE1693.A2

Periodical Title Abbreviations: By Abbreviation. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1968-
LOCATION: MCK Ready Reference (Latest Edition), EPSL REF (1998), CHEM REF (1986)
CALL NUMBER: PN4832.P4

Brown, P. and G.B. Stratton eds. World List of Scientific Periodicals Published in the Years 1900-1960. 4th ed. London: Buttersworth, 1963-1965.
LOCATION: EPSL REF, MCK Folio
CALL NUMBER: Z7403.W923

World List of Scientific Periodicals: New Periodicals 1969-1978. London: Buttersworth.
LOCATION: MCKREF Periodical STACKS, ENGIN REF
CALL NUMBER: Z7403.W9231

Subject Specific Resources

Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index. 1907-. Columbus, Ohio: Chemical Abstracts Service
LOCATION: CHEM Periodical Stacks (1907-1999); CHEM CURPER (2001-current)
CALL NUMBER: Z5523.A3

Periodicals Scanned and Abstracted: Life Sciences Collection. 6th ed. Bethesda, Md: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, 1993.
LOCATION: MCKREF STACK
CALL NUMBER: QH302.P47 1985 (3rd ed.)

Serials Monitored for the ASFIS [Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System] Bibliographic Database. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1988. ASFIS Reference Series no. 1, revision 2.
LOCATION: MCKREF Manuals for Databases
CALL NUMBER: Z695.1.A63A63 1988

BIOSIS Serial Sources. Philadelphia: BioSciences Information Service.
Serials indexed in Biological Abstracts.
LOCATION: MCKREF STACKS
CALL NUMBER: Z5321.B62 1998

International Union List of Agricultural Serials. Wallingford: CAB International, 1990.
LOCATION: MCKREF STACKS
CALL NUMBER: Z5073.I58 1990

Journals Indexed in AGRICOLA. Beltsville, MD: National Agricultural Library, 1992- . Updated quarterly.
LOCATION: http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=8&tax_level=2&tax_subject=157&topic_id=2010

Index of NLM Serial Titles. Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine, 1984.
LOCATION: GOVDOC SUDOC
CALL NUMBER: Z6660.N3 1984

List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus. 1960- . Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine. List of the 3419 journals indexed in Index Medicus.
Also Print Copy in: GOVDOC SUDOC HE20.3612/4: (1998-2000)

List of Serials Indexed for Online Users 2008 (PDF file). Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine. List of the 13,014 serials indexed in various NLM databases, including MEDLINE.
Also Print Copy in: GOVDOC SUDOC HE20.3618/2:(1998, 2005, 2007), MCKREF Z6658.L551 (2005, 2007)

SEE ALSO ENTREZ Journal Browser (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=journals), a searchable (by title words, ISSN, or abbreviated title) database of the journals indexed in MEDLINE along with additional life science journals. This is the place to begin for biomedical journals including veterinary medicine.

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Last modified: August 14, 2008

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