How to Find or Construct Persistent Links to Full Text Journal Articles in the Library's Databases.
Most of the full text databases provided by the Meriam Library now provide Persistent Links that allow users to copy and reuse links that take readers to content at the article level.
Persistent Links are URLs that are generally stable (versus permanent) and in most cases are provided by the database itself. You can usually find them on the citation/abstract page for an article, or on the article page itself. In most cases, the URLs displayed the address bar of your web browser are not stable and cannot be reused for linking purposes, although there are a few exceptions.
Because our library journal subscriptions are licensed only for CSU, Chico faculty, staff, and students, all links must have our proxy server address appended to their front end to authenticate users if they are off-campus.
At CSU, Chico our proxy server URL is https://login.mantis.csuchico.edu/login(opens in new window)
Fortunately several our major databases providers like EBSCO and ProQuest automatically add the proxy address to the links for you, but in some cases you must add it yourself.
For example, a "stable URL" provided by JSTOR such as http://www.jstor.org/stable/30209878(opens in new window) lacks the proxy address. To function off-campus and you need to add it yourself.
Completed it now looks like this: http://mantis.csuchico.edu/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30209878(opens in new window)
Persistent Links come in two main forms, (1) persistent URLs, look like the above example and (2) DOIs (digital object identifiers)
DOIs are recognizable as all beginning with the number 10, such as this: 10.1016/j.iheduc.2003.11.004
DOIs also require the proxy address to work off campus and need an additional 3rd component: https://dx.doi.org/(opens in new window)
A complete DOI link therefore looks like this: http://mantis.csuchico.edu/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2003.11.004(opens in new window)
Remember to test your links at home to make sure they work for your off-campus users