Most journals request that you use the "standard abbreviations" as defined in BIOSIS (BIOSIS Serial Sources) or CASSI (Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index) for the journals cited in your reference list. These resources are found in print in many libraries. However, several online resources also provide the same abbreviations, so you may be able to save yourself a trip to the library.
Most journal abbreviations are based on a word list from the ISSN's " List of Title Word Abbreviations". This includes the journal lists used by BIOSIS, CASSI, PubMed, and CSA. If you can't find the exact journal title in one of the resources listed below, you can "build" your abbreviation word by word using the " List of Title Word Abbreviations" since the abbreviation for any word will be the same regardless of the other words in the title. An exception to this rule is if the journal has only one word; then the title should not be abbreviated (e.g., Nature, Science, Cell, Time, Newsweek).
All of the resources below with the "star icon"
provide the "standard" (ISO, ISSN,
BIOSIS, CASSI) abbreviation for journals:
The first stop if you need to translate from an abbreviation to the full title of a journal, or vice versa! This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI.
Type in the full title or abbreviation for a journal (or just one word), or the ISSN, and see the full titles that match. Covers all disciplines. Genamics JournalSeek is the largest completely categorized database of freely available journal information available on the internet, presently [2/2007] containing over 92,215 titles. Journal information includes the description (aims and scope), the official journal abbreviation, journal homepage link, subject category and ISSN, and (frequently) indicates which databases index the particular journal (e.g., Agricola, CAB Abstracts, Web of Science, etc.).
Produced with funding from Openly Informatics.
— Journals indexed in Medline
(PubMed)
Enter the journal name, MEDLINE abbreviation, a word from the title, or ISSN. This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI. The whole List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus (Pubmed) also available, in PDF format..
From Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, a list of nearly 6000 journals that are indexed in their database, Biological Sciences. Alphabetical by title; includes abbreviations. This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI.
This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI.
From Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, a list of nearly over 2000 journals that are indexed in the CSA engineering databases METADEX, Engineered Materials Abstracts, Copper Data Center and Corrosion Abstracts. This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI.
A file with the CASSI abbreviations for 1300 of the core journals indexed in Chemical Abstracts [SciFinder Scholar]. This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI.
Print resources for "standard abbreviations":
Not available online.
The print version is on the Reference Desk in the Biology Library; or call me (217-265-5386) or the Biology Reference desk (217-344-3591), and we'll look a title up for you. Older versions are available for checkout -- Call number, 570.5 BIOA21B.
Alphabetical listing of serials currently inclued in BIOSIS Previews, Biological Abstracts, and Biological Abstracts/RRM (Reports, Reviews, Meetings).
Includes titles previously included, titles that have undergone title changes, as well as titles currently monitored by these databases. Provides the "official" *abbreviations for the journals, ISSN, publication frequency, publisher name and address etc.
* Official abbreviations are those that are based on the "List of Serial Title Word Abbreviations", published by the ISSN International Centre.
Not available online.
For the CASSI abbreviation, please consult the "Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index", call
number 016.54 AC2, located in several science libraries at UIUC. Note: an abbreviated version of
this resource,
Core Journals indexed in
CAplus
, provides the abbreviations for
about 1300 core chemistry titles.
Listed below are resources that will help you decipher the full title of a journal, when you
only have the abbreviation for the journal. Some of them are also useful for going from the
full title to the abbreviation for the journal. Those sources that include the "standard
abbreviation", as definded by ISSN (and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI and others) are indicated by
this icon:
Genamics JournalSeek is the first stop if you need to translate from an abbreviation to the full title of a journal!
Type in the full title or abbreviation for a journal (or just one word), or the ISSN, and see the full titles that match. Covers all disciplines. Genamics JournalSeek is the largest completely categorized database of freely available journal information available on the internet, presently [10/2004] containing over 67,000 titles. Journal information includes the description (aims and scope), the official journal abbreviation, journal homepage link, subject category and ISSN, and (frequently) indicates which databases index the particular journal (e.g., Agricola, CAB Abstracts, Web of Science, etc.).
Produced with funding from Openly Informatics.
Lists the full title and abbreviated title for journals indexed in Agricola.
Enter the journal name, MEDLINE abbreviation, a word from the title, or ISSN. This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI. The whole List of Journals Indexed in Index Medicus (Pubmed) also available, in PDF format.
From the University of South Florida. Focus is on biological and medical journals.
From Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, a list of nearly 6000 journals that are indexed in their database, Biological Sciences. Alphabetical by title; includes abbreviations. This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI..
From Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, a list of nearly over 2000 journals that are indexed in the CSA engineering databases METADEX, Engineered Materials Abstracts, Copper Data Center and Corrosion Abstracts. Alphabetical by title; includes abbreviations. This database uses the "standard abbreviation", as definded by ISSN and used also by BIOSIS and CASSI..
An alphabetical listing of the journals reviewed for inclusion in the CAB Abstracts database. Just titles, no abbreviations. A list of nearly 7000 titles.
From Chemical Abstracts, the full title and abbreviations for about 1000-1300 "core" journals in the Chemical Abstracts database. The abbreviations here would be the same as those in CASSI, and are generally recognized as the "official" abbreviations. Official abbreviations are those that are based on the "List of Serial Title Word Abbreviations", published by the ISSN International Centre.
You probably do not want to use ISI's abbreviations-- they were established in-house when ISI was concerned with saving computer space and are quite "non-standard". But if you need a list of the journals indexed by Web of Science or Current Contents, this is a useful resource. Or, you may consult ISI's master list of journals indexed (which does not include abbreviations). Note: the master list is also available from within the databases, Web of Science, or Journal Citation Reports.
List of journals indexed in the FSTA database -- just the full titles are listed; no abbreviations.
A collection of Web-based resources for translating journal titles. Lots of specialized listings, such as a list that has the BIOSIS information for Entomology journals.
If a journal has ever been cataloged by a library, you'll probably find it here. WorldCat has the cataloging records for thousands of libraries -- books, journal titles, etc. WorldCat won't give the abbreviation for the journal, but is useful if you're trying to decipher the full title of a journal. For instance, if the abbreviation is Senckenb. Lethaea, you could search: Senckenb* Lethaea*, and you'd find the full title is: Senckenbergiana lethaea! It's important that you guess as much as the word as possible. For example, don't search for J* Biol* Chem*, when you know that "J" stands for "journal", etc.
If you have an abbreviation, and need to know if University of Illinois has the journal, you can use the "Advanced Search" mode to enter parts of the title! As when searching WorldCat, it's important that you guess as much of the word as possible. For example, don't search for J? Biol? Chem?, when you know that "J" stands for "journal", etc.
Here's how to find the full title of the title Ann Rev Phytopath:
Contact the Biotechnology Librarian, Katie Newman, 217-265-5386.
University LibraryFor comments on this page contact: Katie Newman
Last modified by: Yun Zhang on 7/15/08