The biographical indexes, part of the World Biographical Information System (WBIS) and used as indexes for the biographical archives, serve as an independent biographical research tool, with each index containing short biographical entries on individuals relating to a certain biographical or cultural region, and each entry including names, biographical data, professions and evaluated sources. The ArabIslamic Biographical Index contains summarised information on around 80,000 individuals from the preIslamic period until 1918. It includes not only individuals who were born in the region, but also foreigners who were active within it.