publication dates
The date of publication is typically the first indicator of timeliness, although most print resources, such as books, and even some journals, can take anywhere from months to years to publish. Another thing to look for is whether the source been revised, updated or expanded in a subsequent edition. Keep in mind that some dates may represent the year a book was simply reprinted, after it has been out of print for several years.
The following psycINFO entry shows a very short publication lag from submission in January of 2009 to publication in July, 2010. Some journal articles may take three years or more to be published!
