The Japanese Periodicals Index

The "Japanese Periodicals Index" (JPI) is a database of articles from domestically published Japanese language periodicals (some foreign published Japanese language periodicals and some domestically published Western language periodicals are also included) compiled and organized by the National Diet Library.

You can specify the periodical carrying the articles and where the article appears, by searching by words in the article title or author name.

Periodicals are selected based on the "JPI Periodical Selection Criteria".

Articles are selected based on the "JPI Article Selection and Indexing Criteria".

Please use the "List of Indexed Periodicals in the Japanese Periodicals Index" (in Japanese) to find the periodical titles that have been selected and indexed.

The NDL offers the Japanese Periodicals Index data in the MARCXML format, please refer to the "Japanese Periodicals Index Data" (in Japanese).

These criteria stipulate which periodicals with articles and papers should be selected and indexed by the "Japanese Periodicals Index"(JPI). The JPI comprises the domestically published Japanese language periodicals (some foreign published Japanese language periodicals and some domestically published Western language periodicals are also included) that are published in the form of print media or packaged electronic publications and accepted by the National Diet Library (NDL).

The following are genres of periodical to be selected and indexed.

1. Academic journals (periodicals in which academic research papers appear)
2. Technical journals (periodicals in which information, explanation, introduction, commentary, and discussion related to specific fields and industries appear)
3. Organs (periodicals in which entities such as political parties, labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and various associations publish their own policies, details of activities, opinions, and related matters)
4. General interest magazines (general periodicals that deal with an assortment of subjects for a supposed varied readership)

The following (even though they meet the above stipulation 1) are genres of periodical not to be selected and indexed.

1. Periodicals that are not published continuously, or if published, cannot be expected to be received continuously by the NDL
2. Periodicals composed only of articles stipulated not to be selected and indexed by the "JPI Article Selection and Indexing Criteria" (periodicals with articles of only a few pages, lists of names, law reports, etc.)
3. Periodicals for which searches are more effective by periodical title than by article title (periodicals published with nearly the same article titles in every issue such as surveys, business reports, white papers, yearbooks, etc.)
4. Periodicals mainly composed of articles ill-suited to article searches (periodicals whose article titles do not reflect the contents or features of the articles clearly and directly)
5. Periodicals in which the usefulness of the information in the articles decreases over time (news flashes, dispatches, etc.)
6. Periodicals whose purpose is public relations, advertisement, or promotion
7. Periodicals whose contents, authors, or readers are limited
   1. Periodicals which deal with a limited subject and focus (periodicals intended for regions with a narrower administrative division than prefecture, publications by municipalities except for academic journals, publications by educational institutions other than those of the colleges of technology and universities stipulated by the School Education Act, hospital magazines, etc.)
   2. Periodicals with limited authorship and readership (house organs, individual magazines, magazines aimed at a particular hobby group, and collected student papers)
8. The collected documents from academic conferences, conventions, symposia, etc. other than academic papers
9. Periodicals that provide new artistic works (literary arts magazines, artwork magazines, etc.)
10. Periodicals without original articles (digests, etc.)
11. Recreation and hobby magazines (sports, painting, music, public entertainment, etc.) and practical magazines (cooking, study texts, etc.)

1. Periodicals judged to be particularly useful for investigation and research may be selected and indexed without regard to stipulations 1 and 2.
2. If impossible to judge from only stipulations 1 and 2, a judgment may be made considering the usage frequency, the number of articles, etc. overall.

If the periodical to be selected is published simultaneously both in print media and as a packaged electronic publication, only the print version will be indexed in principle.

These criteria stipulate articles and academic papers (hereinafter, "articles") to be selected and indexed or not to be selected in the Japanese periodicals Index.

Regardless of the length of the article, articles which have three pages or more will be selected from the selected and indexed periodicals. However, an article with one page or more may also be selected and indexed if the following apply.

1. Bibliographies (excluding new publication introductions)
2. Tables of contents (excluding items that are published in every issue)
3. Individual articles from special feature series of general weekly magazines
4. Articles from periodicals specified by the NDL because of usefulness for investigations and researches

Even if 1 applies, articles to which the below applies will not be selected.

1. Factual informational articles
   1. Fiscal reports of associations or businesses
   2. Lists of names, personnel information, and information such as organizational changes
   3. List of research achievements, etc.
   4. Meeting announcements, association rules, periodic general conference programs, and event calendars
   5. Article submission guidelines, readers' columns, editor notes
   6. Advertisements and Publicity - Articles whose main purpose is advertisement
2. Articles for amusement
   1. Gravure articles in general weekly magazines
   2. Comics
3. Poetry, tanka, haiku, etc.
4. Data, materials, or source documents with no accompanying explanations
   1. Articles on numeric information only
   2. Examination papers
   3. Japanese laws and regulations
   4. Judicial precedents
5. Thesis and dissertation abstracts and assessment reports

Though we normally select and index individual articles, we use the special selection and indexing method for the following.

1. Collective selection and indexing of special feature series, etc.
   The following articles in special feature series, etc. are selected and indexed as one special feature series and the articles included in the special feature series are not be selected and indexed individually.
   1. The entire contents of periodicals to be selected and indexed are published as extra or supplementary volumes and their articles are comprised of chapters.
   2. Special feature series which consist of individual articles of 2 pages or less
   3. Annual review articles (at a given time of every year "xxth Annual Perspective on XX")
2. Designation of selection and indexing method for the special feature series
   When a certain periodical must be indexed selectively due to the composition of the periodical, one of the following designated selection and indexing methods is applied to the titles, and the articles are always indexed selectively.
   1. Only special feature series are collectively selected and indexed; no other articles are selected and indexed.
   2. Only special feature series are collectively selected and indexed; other articles are selected and indexed individually.
   3. Only articles in special feature series are individually selected and indexed.
   4. Other