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Creating direct links to articles in library databases to post in Blackboard

Using the procedures described here, faculty can create links in Blackboard directly to articles found in full text in the Library's subscription databases.

 

If you want a librarian to create the link for you, call or email us. Give us your article's citation and we will make the link and send it to you. For help with questions not answered here, please email or call:

  • St. Paul: Kathi Rickert | kdrickert@stkate.edu | x8738
  • Minneapolis: Sue Gray | sagray@stkate.edu | x7898

Why would faculty want to do this?

  • As an alternative to using electronic reserves for providing access to journal articles available in Library databases
  • As a convenience for faculty, since they can do this themselves
  • As a convenience for students (one-stop shopping in Blackboard, a familiar tool)

Where can direct links be inserted in Blackboard?

  • Directly into the online syllabi
  • Under "Course documents"
  • Under "External links"
  • Wherever faculty feels students are apt to find and use them

What are the challenges of creating direct links?

  • Different terminology and procedures among databases: may be called a persistent, durable, direct URL, stable link or document link
  • Some databases do not allow direct linking (e.g., Lexis Nexis)
  • Vendors can (and do!) change links and processes with little or no notice
  • Link must provide off-campus access, so it must link the user to EZProxy (see C, below)

Steps in creating direct or persistent links

 

A. EBSCO Databases (including Academic Search Premier, Business Source, CINAHL, Health Source, etc.):

While looking at a list of articles, click the article title to bring up the full record. Under Tools, locate Permalink. Click Permalink and notice that a small lightbox opens. Click in the box to highlight, then copy the link. (Note that this link already contains the EZProxy URL, shown in C below.) Paste the link into Blackboard -- be sure to test it to make sure it works.

B. ProQuest Databases (including ProQuest Education Journals, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, and ProQuest Newspapers):

From a list of record, click the article title to bring up the full record (do not open the article itself -- the article's record includes the title, author, abstract, subject headings, etc.). Scroll to the very bottom of the record and locate the Document URL (it will begin http://pearl.stkate.edu...). Copy this link and paste it into Blackboard -- be sure to test it to make sure it works.

C. Other Full Text Databases:

1. Open Microsoft Word. Copy and paste this partial URL onto a blank page: http://pearl.stkate.edu/login?url=
(this URL preface will link the user to EZProxy, allowing on- or off-campus access).

2. Open a Web browser and locate the citation of the article to which you will link.
(Note: the URL to the article citation is usually shorter than the URL to the article itself, and there will be a link to the article.) See the example below.

3. Locate the persistent/stable/direct/jumpstart link (the exact term may vary). The persistent link is often found in the article citation, although sometimes you will need to use the article URL. Copy this link.

4. Paste the link into your Word page after http://pearl.stkate.edu/login?url=

Remove any extra coding or spaces. Copy the entire URL and paste it into a Web browser to test it.

5. Testing the URL. If you are doing this from on-campus, you should be taken directly to the citation, which will contain a link to the article. If you are off-campus, you will be prompted to enter your KateWay login (username and primary password), then you will be taken to your article citation.

6. You're now ready to paste your complete URL into your Blackboard course! You can place it anywhere that accepts a hypertext link. It is good practice to test the link again in Blackboard. If it doesn't work, see Troubleshooting below.

Troubleshooting: what to do if your link doesn't work


Problem: The link doesn't go to the article.
Double-check the URL. Delete any extra spaces or code that is contained in the article URL.

Problem: The article link works from on-campus, but not from off-campus.
Are you remembering to insert the EZProxy preface to the article URL?

Problem: I can't find anything that says it's a "persistent link."
Try putting the article on your screen and copying the URL that shows in the browser address window. For example,

In JSTOR, Sage or MUSE, open the PDF of the article. Copy the article's URL after the EZPOXY preface (see above).

LexisNexis, RefUSA and others do not provide persistent links.

If you try these techniques and the link still doesn't work, it may be that this database doesn't allow linking. Call a librarian for assistance.