Indexing and abstracting service

"Indexing service" redirects here. For the Microsoft software, see Indexing Service.

An abstracting service is a service that provides abstracts of publications, often on a subject or group of related subjects, usually on a subscription basis.[1] An indexing service is a service that assigns descriptors and other kinds of access points to documents. The word indexing service is today mostly used for computer programs, but may also cover services providing back-of-the-book indexes, journal indexes, and related kinds of indexes. [2] An indexing and abstracting service is a service that provides shortening or summarizing of documents and assigning of descriptors for referencing documents.[3]

The product is often an abstracts journal or a bibliographic index, which may be a subject bibliography or a bibliographic database.

Guidelines for indexing and abstracting, including the evaluation of such services, are given in the literature of library and information science.[4]

  1. ^ Manzer, B. M. (1977). The Abstract Journal, 1790-1920. Origin, Development and Diffusion. Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press.
  2. ^ Balay, Robert. 2000. Early Periodical Indexes : Bibliographies and Indexes of Literature Published in Periodicals before 1900. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
  3. ^ Klempner, Irving M. (1968). Diffusion of abstracting and indexing services for government-sponsored research. Metuchen, N.J. Scarecrow Press.
  4. ^ Lancaster, F. W. (1991/1998/2003). Indexing and abstracting in theory and practice. London: Library Association. (1st ed. 1991; 2nd ed. 1998; 3rd. ed. 2003).