Faculty Resources

This guide is intended to help members of the Iona community understand how to find and use permalinks for referring to - and later accessing - Iona's online resources.

A permalink - also be referred to as a stable link, durable link, digital object identifier (DOI), persistent link, permanent link or document link, etc. - is a web address that remains static and can be used continuously over time.  It is not dependent upon data collected during a specific web session and will always point to the same resource.

How do I find permalinks? 
Most research databases include a permalink in the article record.  The location of these links vary from one database to another.  Browse through the instructions on the 'Links to Articles in Databases" page for instructions on where to locate this information in different databases.  If the instructions provided are unclear or the database you are using is not listed, please contact a research librarian.

Why can't I just copy the URL in my browser's address bar?
Web addresses (URLs) that appear in the address bar of your web browser when you search the library's subscription databases usually contain dynamically generated session-based or search-based information that will not work when copied and used at a later time.

Why would I use a permalink rather than just upload, print, paste or otherwise distribute an article?
You may be in violation of copyright law or license restrictions if you continually post, copy or otherwise distribute content without authorization or permission.  Using permalinks ensures that resources are being accessed in a legal manner, through databases and websites for which Iona has licenses.  For more information about copyright law, click here to view the Copyright & Fair Use Research Guide ».

How do I know if a permalink will work from off campus?
When on-campus, access is automatically authenticated through Iona's IP address.  When off-campus, authentication must be managed via a proxy server, which is the tool that prompts users for their Computer ID and Password when off-campus. 

What does Iona's Proxy Prefix look like?
Iona's proxy pre-fix is: http://rocky.iona.edu:2048/login?url=