How to Link to an Article

"Persistent links" are URLs that connect users directly to library database articles by clicking hyperlinks placed in webpages, word-processing documents, PDFs, or emails. Persistent links are easily built and are useful when creating online syllabi, reading lists, bibliographies and other research tools. Persistent links are also termed "durable" or "stable" links because the links continue to work over time (usually for months or even years).

Persistent links assist instructors both to comply with copyright law and to save money on the purchase of copyright permissions. Electronic articles and books accessed from USAWC persistent links are paid for in database license agreements. In effect, accessing articles by hot-linking into a library database has been pre-paid by the library. For further information contact the USAWC Library Systems Administrator by email USAWC.LibraryS@us.army.mil or by phone x54704.

By following the directions below, users will be able to access articles via persistent links over different computer networks. You can either manually add the ezproxy prefix "http://ezproxy.usawcpubs.org/login?url=" to each URL, or you can use the Link Builder. When users click on persistent links, EZproxy will provide links back to the USAWC Portal or Distance Education Online to provide authenticated users a username and password for access. Users will only need to provide the EZproxy username and password once per session.

As an example, this link for an article in the database JSTOR "http://www.jstor.org/stable/4133948" would be:
"http://ezproxy.usawcpubs.org/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/4133948."

Many databases with full-text articles provide "Persistent link" capabilities. Different databases use different means for persistent links to articles (i.e. it's not always a simple matter of copying the address from the address window of your browser). A method to find the persistent link for each database is provided below. A list of our available databases can be found at the Library's website.

• Persistent URLs will generally not have the words "session ID" or "results" in the URL.
• Persistent URLs will continue to work if you delete your browser files, or if you click on them from another computer.
• Persistent URLs will continue to work if you click on them a few days later.

For the following databases, copy the URL from the address window of your browser.

For Taylor and Francis Online - Click on "link" and then copy the DOI URL.

For JSTOR - From the item detail page, swipe and copy the URL listed as the Stable URL.

For ProQuest - Click on the article title showing the bibliographic information. Scroll down to the field labeled "Document URL" and copy the address.

For Wilson OmniFile Full Text Mega - Click on the article title showing the bibliographic information. Find the link that says "Persistent URL: Click to copy the full text article link."

LexisNexis Academic has a "Copy Document Link" icon on the article level page. Click the "Copy Document Link" icon to pop up another window where you can right click and "Copy Shortcut."

Remote USAWC Portal users can obtain a current username and password from the EZproxy login page or here. Authenticated DDE users can obtain a username and password from the DDE Education Online server's News and Events section.

If you are linking articles on-post, first click here to force Internet Explorer to behave like it is off-post. Next CLOSE THE WINDOW YOU JUST OPENED. You can now click on the article link you created. You will be brought to the EZproxy login page. Your link will now work like it is being used off-post. EZproxy requires a username and password for access.

After you have finished testing your link(s), click here to reset your Internet Explorer back to normal. Again, CLOSE THE WINDOW, then SAVE AND CLOSE your file. (If you are using Word, as long as your document is open, your computer will continue to act as if it is off-post.)

For further help with Persistent Links to articles within databases, contact the USAWC Library Systems Administrator at USAWC.LibraryS@us.army.mil or x54704.