AgeLine Database
AgeLine FAQs
- What is AgeLine?
- Why use AgeLine?
- What does AgeLine cover?
- What search, browse, and display options are available?
- What types of publications are included in AgeLine?
- How is AgeLine content selected?
- What do users say about AgeLine?
- How do I access AgeLine?
- Why pay a distributor for AgeLine if it is available for free?
- How do I contact AgeLine?
What is AgeLine?
AgeLine is a bibliographic database that collects and describes all of the literature on aging and older adults. It is available free on this AARP web site, as well as through licensed commercial database distributors.
Why use AgeLine?
AgeLine covers the full spectrum of social gerontology, plus aging-related content from other disciplines, and includes hard-to-find reports and “gray literature.”
- Researchers, students, and policymakers can find empirical research, literature reviews, policy studies, dissertations, public opinion surveys, government reports, conference proceedings, and textbooks. Sample topics include social gerontology, psychology, economics, demography, sociology, social work, health sciences, and theories of aging.
- Health care professionals and aging services providers can find case studies, clinical practice guidelines, management guides, and program descriptions. Topics of interest include intervention strategies, service planning and delivery, program management, health care costs and reimbursement, advance directives, medical ethics, licensure and regulation, and state plans on aging.
- Everyone can find personal and consumer guides and popular articles on retirement planning, healthy aging, caring for loved ones, Social Security and Medicare benefits, estate planning, home modification, aging in place, retirement locations, lifelong learning, grandparenting, and much more.
What does AgeLine cover?
- AgeLine contains over 95,000 English-language publication abstracts and is updated bimonthly (every even month) with about 800 new items.
- Publications are from 1978 to the present, with selected coverage from 1966-1977. Links to full text or ordering options are included wherever they are available.
- AgeLine abstracts articles from several thousand journals and magazines. See Journal Title List for the most frequently indexed journal titles.
- AgeLine content is identical on AARP's web site and on licensed AgeLine distributors. See AgeLine Database Licensed Distributors for more information.
What search, browse, and display options are available?
- AgeLine can be searched by subject, author, title, journal name, or year. Searches can be limited to show only publications that are available free on the Web.
- All AgeLine content is related to aging and older adults, so it is best NOT to include such terms as “aging,” “aged,” “older adults,” or “elderly” in a search. For more information see the help message Avoiding aging-related words in your search.
- All AgeLine material is indexed with subject terms (descriptors) from the “Thesaurus of Aging Terminology” published by AARP. See Thesaurus information.
- Extensive context-sensitive help messages are provided with each search screen in AgeLine.
- Search strategies are visible on search results pages.
- Results can be sorted by date, author, document type, source, title, and relevance and can be printed, emailed, or downloaded into spreadsheets or citation management software.
- Ready-made searches on high-interest topics are available on AgeLine's Searches to Go page.
What types of publications are included in AgeLine?
AgeLine includes:
- Books
- Book chapters
- Conference proceedings
- Dissertations
- Gray literature
- Government reports
- Journal and magazine articles
- Policy analysis
- Research reports
- Special journal issues
- Videos (documentary; educational)
AgeLine does not include:
- Book reviews
- Editorials
- Newspaper articles
- Single conference papers
- Statistical data files
How is AgeLine content selected?
All material selected for AgeLine has a significant focus on aging from a social/behavioral/economic perspective or it emphasizes the concerns, interests, and experiences of adults aged 50 and over. AgeLine covers health, health care, and health behaviors in some depth, but it is not a medical database.
AARP welcomes suggestions about materials to be included in AgeLine that meet these criteria. Please contact AgeLine at ageline@aarp.org before submitting materials.
What do users say about AgeLine?
“AgeLine is the one indispensable resource for anyone seriously interested in gerontology or issues of aging and public policy.”
—Professor and researcher
“I truly believe AgeLine helped save lives when our local nursing home consulted AgeLine before relocating their residents to a new facility.”
—Hospital librarian
“This database is of immense value and help to the students and provides information which it would be very difficult to get elsewhere.”
—International academic training center librarian
“AgeLine's current online version is user-friendly, comprehensive, and uniquely useful for gerontological researchers.”
—Graduate student in social work
“I should like to explore it much further. At 81 years of age, I am beginning to realize that I am a senior. Isn't that great!”
—Web site visitor
How do I access AgeLine?
The complete AgeLine database is available free on this AARP web site. It is also available through licensed commercial database distributors who sell subscriptions to academic and other institutions. The content of AgeLine is the same no matter where you search it. Please refer to AgeLine Database Licensed Distributors for more details. Note that distributors, not AARP, set subscription prices, which are subject to change.
Why pay a distributor for AgeLine if it is available for free?
There are many advantages for libraries in subscribing to AgeLine through a distributor. These include:
- cross-searching of related databases, saving a lot of searching time
- links to the library's collection (including access to the full text of articles online)
- an interactive thesaurus
- sophisticated search and retrieval options
How do I contact AgeLine?
The AgeLine Help Desk (ageline@aarp.org) provides search assistance to AgeLine users and responds to queries and comments.