They can serve as a launching point to define or refine your basic question. Current awareness functions. Each Abstract and Index is different. Do NOT restrict yourself to using only the online or electronic versions of abstracts and indexes. You will become a far better user of online versions by first learning how to effectively use the printed version.
Some online versions are new and their period of coverage is short.
Information obtained from electronic resources must be properly cited, providing formal acknowledgment and recognition to the developer or originator of the mater ials. To determine if the University Libraries subscribes to a specific journal in which you have identified an article, you will need to search the UB Libraries Catalog. The third entry is a book authored by Robert B. Platt in 1967 . This will give you the record for the journal BioScience. The most current issues of a journal are found in the Current Periodicals area near the SEL Reference Desk.