Finding and Creating Persistent Links
Assigning journal articles or book chapters as class readings? Sending a link to a Drake colleague? Make sure they can use those links without errors. Also, linking to online readings is the best way to comply with copyright law.
- Make sure that Drake University provides access through SuperSearch or our licensed databases.
- Include a persistent link to the article, book, or chapter in your Blackboard course so your students can access them from anywhere. See below for ways to find persistent links.
1. Look for a DOI
An increasing number of databases and publishers provide the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for their online works. The DOI can be appended to the URL “http://dx.doi.org/” to create a persistent link to that work. So the DOI link will look something like this:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn800264q
2. Look for a Permalink
Some databases provide persistent links using different terminology. For example, EBSCO databases call them “Permalinks,” while other databases may use the term “Persistent link” or “Stable URL.” If available, such links are usually offered in the area of the article’s export or sharing tools.
3. Use the Citation
Nearly all databases offer some way to view a work’s citation in one or more style formats, and in most formats, a stable URL or DOI is presented as the last element of the citation.
4. Use the Browser’s Address Bar
In most cases, you can copy the URL that appears in your browser’s address bar. This may seem obvious, but be aware that some sites don’t make it so easy and may require strategies like the ones above.
Ensure Off-Campus Access
To ensure that Drake users can access the database link from on or off campus, you’ll need to add Drake’s proxy prefix, which is “https://cowles-proxy.drake.edu/login/url=”. This is true no matter which of the above strategies you use to obtain the URL. So, for example, a link to an article with the URL “https://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2019.1684223” becomes the following (proxy prefix in purple):
https://cowles-proxy.drake.edu/login/url=https://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2019.1684223
Use the form on the right side of this page to convert a normal URL into a proxied URL.
Ask a Librarian
Of course, we’re always willing to help you find stable URLs for any of the resources we offer. Contact us