| BOOK | ARTICLE |
| Usually longer (100-800+ pgs) | Usually shorter (8-35+ pgs.) |
| Stand alone, one-time publication |
Scholarly articles published in a particular journal, with other unrelated articles on the same topic; article published once, but journal publishes issues on a regular schedule. Article will be linked to the title of the journal, and the specific issue number and/or date in which it appears. |
| Takes longer from idea to published item; therefore less current | Takes shorter time from idea to publication; therefore more current (still not as current as news items) |
| Coverage broader or more indepth on topic | Narrowly focused topic |
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Ex. citation (in Chicago Style): Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2006. |
Ex. citation (in Chicago Style): Weinstein, Joshua I. “The Market in Plato’s Republic.” Classical Philology 104 (2009): 439–58. |
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Search for in catalog: |
Search for in ZipSearch: |
| CATALOG | DATABASE |
| Inventory - what a library has | Index - what is available in a given set of journals |
| Library *will* have, either in print or electronically |
Library *may* have, may not |
| Every library's catalog is different - and maintained by the library itself | Most article databases are commercially created - libraries that have the database have the exact same thing |
| Low level of detail - generally doesn't describe contents of items |
High level of detail - most articles indexed in a database will include an abstract describing what the article is about |
| Only indicates if the library has a journal and the years that they have; no information about specific articles |
Does contain the titles and descriptions of individual journal articles |
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