Overview

To go directly to the Cave Science Journals section of the three-part Cave Science Index, click the icon to the left. To find out more about the different search facilities BCRA can offer you, please read on.

BCRA's periodicals have online contents lists and downloadable content that is accessible via our Bookshop page. BCRA's Cave Science Index is a searchable index to BCRA's periodicals; it also includes several significant non-BCRA periodicals. Other searchable lists include the British Caving Library catalogue and the CREG Search Engine, which are also described below.

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Cave Science Index

The BCRA Cave Science Index is a three-part searchable catalogue of UK cave science periodicals, including Cave & Karst Science and its predecessors, and other non-BCRA journals. It is maintained by Pete Cousins and is hosted on a website belonging to Andrew Brooks. It is updated annually. Last modified: 11-Feb-2024.

Cave Science Journals Search the Index

This catalogue includes publications from

• British Cave Research Association
  • The Transactions of the British Cave Research Association (1974-1982; ISSN 0305-859X)
  • Cave Science (1982-1993; ISSN 0263-760X)
  • Cave and Karst Science (from 1994; ISSN 1356-191X).
• Cave Research Group (CRG)
• British Speleological Association (BSA)
• William Pengelly Cave Studies Trust
• University of Bristol Spelæological Society

May 2024: The publications of CRG and BSA are in the process of being scanned. Please enquire if you need to locate a specific reference..

BCRA Special Interest Group Journals Search the Index

There is also the CREG Journal Search Engine, which is a separate resource.

Amongst BCRA's Special Interest Groups only CSG and CREG have produced a significant quantity of publicatons. The now-dissolved Speleohistory Group published a few newsletters (see British Caving Library for further information). The Cave Science Index lists items from CSG, CREG and the magazine Underground Photographer, which began life as an informal BCRA SIG.

• Compass Points (ISSN 1361-8962) published by BCRA's Cave Surveying Group (CSG)
• CREG Journal (ISSN 1361-4800) published by BCRA's Cave Radio and Electronics Group (CREG)
• Underground Photographer (ISSN 1362-0614) initially published by CREG and then by Kym ap Rhys and Paul Peppiatt

Mining History Search the Index

An index to the Bulletin of the Peak District Mines Historical Society is included here, together with Memoirs/Monographs from the Northern Mine Research Society and its predecessor, the Northern Cavern and Mine Research Society. There are also many references to Mine Exploration and Mining History in the earlier journals of the British Speleological Association, 'Cave Science', which is also indexed in this catalogue.

Cave Science Index Credits

The main Cave Science indexes were first compiled by Peter Cousins and Graham Mullan. The indexes to Compass Points, the CREG Journal and the PDMHS Bulletin were based on earlier work by Chris Trayner, David Gibson and Dave Williams respectively. The search engine software was written in Perl by Derek Cousins; this provides the basis for an author, subject and title search across all the journals. Further information is given on the relevant search pages.

Other Resources

The CREG journal search engine is maintained by David Gibson. It runs off the bibliographic data which is updated when each new journal is placed online. The Cave Radio and Electronics Group is one of BCRA's Special Interest Groups. Visit CREJ Search Engine

The British Caving Library catalogue is maintained by Martin Laverty. This searchable catalogue lists Cave & Karst Science, other BCRA periodicals and, of course, most of the publications that are held at the British Caving Library. Visit Caving Library

Also of Interest

ISSN References — The British Library allocates an ISSN to each periodical title that it holds. The numbers are linked to the title itself, and (unlike ISBNs) not to a particular publisher. A list of some relevant ISSNs can be found here in an old format.

Caves & Caving View Contents Lists  — The BCRA Bulletin (from 1973) was re-titled in 1979 to Caves & Caving (1979-2002; ISSN 0142-1832). Contents listings of Caves & Caving are available on the BCRA website in an old format.

Speleology View Contents Lists  — Caves and Caving was re-titled in 2003 to Speleology ( ISSN 1478-999X). Publication continued until 2013. Contents listings are available on the BCRA website.