
The essential resource for researchers from a Christian worldview!
The Christian Periodical Index® (CPI®) (ISSN 2572-1933) is the comprehensive electronic index to journal articles and book reviews from across the evangelical Christian perspective. CPI, first released in 1957, is updated quarterly by ACL volunteers and produced and distributed by EBSCO.
- Indexes more than 190 publications (including 100+ academic journals and 80 peer-reviewed titles)
- Includes over 500,000 articles and reviews from the mid-20th century to present
- Covers major doctrinal positions within evangelical Christianity
- Produced by the Association of Christian Librarians® (ACL), distributed by EBSCO, and updated quarterly
What is unique about CPI?
- New in 2022! Users can limit search results to linked full-text or peer-reviewed journals, and search by scripture citation
- Contains titles from a wide variety of disciplines that present a Christian viewpoint — education, history, literature, medicine, music, nursing, philosophy, science, and sociology
- 103 titles indexed in CPI are not found in other major religion databases and 70 titles are found ONLY in CPI
- Indexing done by ACL members
CLC members are eligible for a 15% discount on CPI available through EBSCO. Contact EBSCO to get a price quote or a trial version. Be sure to mention you are a CLC member to get the 15% savings!
CPI Team Members
Carrie Beth Lowe
Team Coordinator
Johnson University
Sarah Wessel
Managing Editor
Association of Christian Librarians
Steve Brown
Editor Emeritus
Retired
Douglas Butler
Articles Editor
Retired
Jule Kind
Indexer Training Coordinator
Retired
Laura Ladwig
Secretary/Proofreader
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Jamey Wilkes
Reviews Editor
North Georgia Technical College
Lori Thornton
Retrospective Indexing Coordinator
Carson-Newman University
More about CPI for...
- CPI LibGuide
- CPI title lists
- Subscription questions for EBSCO?
- Request a free trial to CPI
- Report an error in CPI
Many librarians serve as indexers for CPI. If you are interested in this type of professional contribution, please contact the CPI Team Coordinator.
- Indexer Resources – CPI LibGuide
- If you have indexing-specific question please contact Jule Kind, Indexer Training Coordinator.
- CPI Indexing Manual
- Report an error in CPI
- Indexer of the Year Award
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We are always looking for new indexers, and many current and future librarians get started serving ACL and the profession by indexing. To get a sense of what we are looking for, we have some videos to introduce the process.
- Beginning Indexing for CPI–Part One, Getting Started
Description: Learn how to get started with CPI indexing. - Beginning Indexing for CPI–Part Two, General Indexing Guidelines
Description: Description of the indexing templates and content of fields.
- Beginning Indexing for CPI–Part One, Getting Started
The Christian Periodical Index (CPI) currently indexes more than 190 publications. New titles are considered for addition to the index based upon member, indexer, and publisher recommendations. The CPI Team evaluates titles throughout the year and bases its decisions on a written selection policy, copies of which are available on request from the CPI Team Coordinator.
CPI has grown steadily since its start and continues to achieve significant milestones:
1957 – The first issue of CPI was published with indexing back to 1956
1999 – Online and CD-ROM formats using the SilverPlatter platform were developed and hosted by BCR (Bibliographic Center for Research)
2009 – CPI became available via EBSCOhost
2012 – Record count surpasses 300,000
2012 – Last print index (volume 35)
2017 – Record count surpasses 400,000
If you would like to recommend a title to be a part of CPI’s future, please email the journal title and its publication information to the CPI Team Coordinator.