For many journals, online access began with the 1990s.  In the last few years, as publishers have been making earlier years available electronically, the NIH Library has been making a conscious effort to purchase backfiles for subscribed titles.

The Library recently extended online access to the first year of publication for nearly 400 journals. Sample titles appear below; the first year available online is in parentheses.

From Wiley’s General Medicine Backfile, 22 titles including:

• Arthritis and Rheumatism (1958)
• British Journal of Surgery (1914)
• Journal of Clinical Ultrasound (1973)

From the Oxford University Press Medicine Archive, 42 titles including:

• American Journal of Epidemiology (1925)
• British Medical Bulletin (1945)
• QJM: An International Journal of Medicine (1908)

From Springer’s Biomedical and Life Sciences Archive and Medicine Archive, 312 titles including:

• Archives of Dermatological Research (1869)
• Cell and Tissue Research (1924)
• Genetica (1919)
• Journal of Neurology (1891)
• Psychopharmacology (1959)

In addition, the NIH Library now provides access to the Journal of Neurochemistry (Blackwell) back to 1956; Synlett (Thieme) back to 1989; and Synthesis (Thieme) back to 1969.

To Access the Backfiles

Try one of several approaches:

• Connect via the Library’s Online Journals page.
• Connect through research sources such as PubMed® or Web of Science®. Once you find the article you need, click on the "NIH Library Full-Text Plus!” button and linking software will take you to the journal article or website. To see the NIH full-text button, be sure to access PubMed@NIH from the NIH Library webpage by clicking on the Quick Link on the left side.
• Find records for online journals through the Online Catalog and click on the “Connect to” link.

For Assistance

If you have questions about the online journal collection, email nilhlibrary@nih.gov or call Reference & Information Services at 301-496-1080.

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