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Accessing Library Online Resources: Creating Links

What is a Persistent Link?

When it comes to saving or sharing a link to an article or book, not all links are created equally. Often the links found in the address bar are based on your individual session, and may be prone to expire. Persistent links (or durable link, permalink, or stable URL) are preferable as they will consistently provide access to the resource.

How to Create a Persistent Link

  • Several databases include methods for creating persistent links. See the box to the right for instructions for generating persistent links from common databases.
  • Create a link using the DOI, if available (see instructions under other databases).
  • To ensure off-campus access, add the NOSM University proxy prefix to a persistent link. Use the proxy tool on this page to quickly add the proxy prefix to your URL.
  • Freely accessible websites generally don't require the use of persistent links.
  • Some persistent links can eventually expire so we recommend checking them periodically and be sure to save the citation!

Creating Persistent Links from Databases

Includes CINAHL and ERIC

  1. Select an article and click on the article title
  2. Under the tools menu on the right hand side, click on permalink
  3. The link will appear in a window above the title

permalink

Includes MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane databases

  1. Select an article and click on the article title
  2. Under the tools menu on the right hand side, click on email jumpstart 

email jumpstart

The DOI of an article can often be used to create a persistent link. 

 

What is a DOI?

DOI stands for digital object identifier and provides a unique identifier for an online article or document.

 
How to create a link using a DOI
  1. Find the DOI within the record: (eg. 10.1056/NEJMp1407463)
  2. Add the DOI prefix to the number https://doi.org/

e.g. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1407463

Linking to articles
  1. Copy the URL from the browser address bar
  2. Modify the highlighted content in the URL:

Original link: https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/content/journal/1-s2.0-S0165178116309283

 
Linking to books
  1. Copy the URL from the browser address bar
  2. Modify the highlighted content in the URL:

Original link: https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/browse/book/3-s2.0-C20210020964

Completed link: https://www.clinicalkey.com/dura/browse/bookChapter/3-s2.0-C20210020964

 

Linking to other content 

See Clinical Key's own documentation found on the following webpage under "Durable URLs":

https://elsevierresources.com/clinicalkey/clinicalkey/implementation/ 

Off Campus Proxy Tool

1. Copy the link

2. Paste the link into the box below and it will add the proxy in front of the link

3. Share this combined link

Paste your URL here:

New proxied URL: