Indexing adequacy and interdisciplinary journals: The case of women's studies

Abstract

This paper examines access to women's studies journals through standard indexes and abstracts. Reliability of coverage is important for women's studies scholars and possibly other young interdisciplines. Articles from eighty-six journals were searched in online and print indexes. Access to each journal was evaluated as adequate or inadequate based on fixed criteria. Over 60 percent of the journals were inadequately indexed. These titles should be added to appropriate indexes; a list of specific recommendations is appended (see Appendix A). Parallel research in similar fields may allow librarians to draw generalizations about access to interdisciplinary materials.