The enigmatic journal index: when a negative search result is positive

Journal editors’ use of cumulative journal indexes is quite different to that of the traditional readership. Journal editors use such indexes as either a source of inspiration or a tool for verifying if and when a topic has (or has not) been covered in their journal. In many cases, finding few or no search results is a positive outcome, as this provides editors with the scope and impetus to commission articles on topics that have either not been covered in their journal for several years or not covered at all. Three examples are provided.