Frequently Asked Questions
Finding Journals
What do I do with an abbreviated journal title?
Many library materials abbreviate journal titles (e.g., "J Phys Chem" instead of "The Journal of Physical Chemistry"). This is done to conserve the size of database fields and save on printing ink. The library catalog and e-journals list cannot be used to search for titles based on their abbreviations; if you have a citation with a journal abbreviation, you must first find the full name of the journal.
The UWM Libraries Citation Linker may be used to look up several title abbreviations.
The reference book "Periodical Title Abbreviations" (kept at the RIS Information Desk) may also be used to look up the full names of journals. Online name databases such as the Web of Science Journal Title Abbreviations and the Medline Journals Database are also useful. See Selected Sources for Decoding Periodical and Journal Abbreviations for more titles.