Resource Linking

Our 'get it' service provides enhanced linking to online resources by using Open URL technology. Now journal citations in one database can be linked to the full text in other databases. Going from an index search to the full text of an article can be as easy as a few mouse clicks. When you reach a citation for an article in an index, click on to perform a search. A menu appears, which informs you of your choices, including:

• connecting to the article online (when it's available);
• searching TOPCAT for print volumes;
• ordering the article through the Interlibrary Loans system RACER (if it's unavailable in any format at Trent);
• downloading into RefWorks for future reference.

Another feature of the service is the Citation Linker, a blank form for times when you already have a citation for an article or the title of a journal. Using this form, you can search for availability of the journal or article. This form is available directly via links we provide on our site.

The third feature of the service is the creation of a reliable Journal Titles Available Online at Trent database, including the specific volumes and dates available. There are four ways to search the journal listings.

'get it' Menu Features

Locating Full Text

Here is an example of a 'get it' menu with full text links. When the full text option is available you should be able to click on the link and follow it to the full text.

Checking TOPCAT for Print Copies

When full text is not available you have the option to have 'get it' check TOPCAT for print copies.

The system will then automatically check TOPCAT by the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). If a match is found the TOPCAT record is retrieved. It is important that you further check to make sure we actually have the volume and issue you need.

Ordering Via RACER

When full text is not available, there is a RACER option displayed. If TOPCAT does not indicate that we have it in print you may want to use this feature.

By clicking on the link a RACER form with the essential bibliographic information is automatically created. This saves users the need to search the RACER system themselves. All that is required is to enter your RACER ID

Exporting to RefWorks

RefWorks is the bibliographic citation manager service that all Trent faculty, staff and students can access to help them keep track of their research. The 'get it' system allows users to export directly from the 'get it' menu. We recommend exporting directly from databases you are searching to RefWorks rather than using the 'get it' option. Sometimes the 'get it' option will not export the same level of bibliographic information compared to the export tool in a database.

Journal Titles Available Online at Trent

Title Search

You can browse alphabetically, search the first few words of a journal's title, or search for journal titles containing a word or phrase.

Category Search

Category searching will produce a list of journal by category or subcategory. You can pick more than one subcategory by using the following keyboard short cuts. Holding down the Ctrl key while mouse clicking allows you to select more than one subcategory.

Holding down the Shift key while mouse clicking allows you to click on one subcategory, then click on another and all subcategories between the two get chosen.

Locate Search

This option combines features of the title and category searches, as well as adding a vendor choice. The same keyboard short cuts used in the category search are applicable in this search.

Citation Search

Citation linker can be accessed directly or used via the e-journals listing database. The citation linker allows users with full citations to insert the bibliographic data into the linker and then find out if the article is available full text online. Results are very dependant upon users having a complete and accurate citation. Otherwise, the system may not be able to locate the article, even if it is available in full text.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who has access to ?

All Trent University faculty, staff and students who have access to online indexes have the ability to use 'get it' when searching.

Why can’t I see the button?

Most, but not all, of the databases to which the library subscribes are “OpenURL enabled”, the technology which allows this linking feature. Databases that are not "OpenURL enabled" will not display the 'get it' icon.

The button will not appear if the JavaScript function in your browser is disabled. Re-enable JavaScript to make the button visible. If you are searching Web of Science you must allow the first page to load completely so that the button is visible in your browser.

Why don’t I get full-text for some items?

Links to the full-text of the item always display first on the menu. If no full-text is found, a message explains that the resource is probably NOT available online. The most likely reasons are:

• there is no full-text version available, OR
• the library does not have a license for the full-text for that resource.

Click on the TOPCAT link in the menu to see whether the library has a print subscription to the requested item. Sometimes TOPCAT might even find an online source that "Get it!" missed, so it's a good idea to try it.

In rare cases, a recent article may not yet be loaded on the publisher’s web site.

Why are there several windows when I use ?

opens up 3 windows for each article: clicking on the button opens a menu screen; selecting a “service” associated with that article opens a second window; and the 3rd window appears for all generated activities (the resource that you choose). Remember to close the windows once your search is completed. If you don't close them, the system will re-use them for subsequent searches and they won't pop up on top when you expect them to.

Why is there more than one link for full-text?

Generally, the library only subscribes to a journal once and thus only has one link. However, if the library subscribes to a package that contains a duplicate of the same journal, we provide the alternate link as well so that if one of the access points becomes inaccessible, you will still have access to the title. Please note that we try not to duplicate resources – however these aggregator packages do not always offer flexibility regarding the content of their service.

In some online indexes, the "full-text" links that used to display beside citations are no longer displaying. This is because the "Get it!" service has replaced these links. "Get it!" provides more reliable and stable information about the availability of a specific article.

What does "item not found" mean?

This means that there has been an error in a field such as title or article year. Unfortunately, if there’s an error in the citation the 'get it' system will be unable to retrieve the article. Try searching just the author or title from within the database to which the full text link sent you. Should the article still remain unfound it’s possible that the source has changed; try any other sources listed. If time permits, request an ILL (Interlibrary Loan).

Sometimes I only get to the journal or the publisher site instead of the full-text. Why does this happen?

Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to configure the link to go directly to the full-text article or abstract with a full-text link. Some publishers only allow linking to the journal level rather than the actual article level. Other times, the Resource Locator can only take you to the publisher’s site with journal issues’ table of contents; from there you’ll have to navigate to the full-text article.

Why does nothing appear after I’ve clicked on the button?

A pop-up disabler will prevent from functioning properly. Disable this pop-up feature to enable .

Also, if you didn't close the window from the last time you used "Get it!", it may be using that existing window, which is not buried underneath your index. Check your other open windows. Close these windows when you're done with them, to avoid this happening again.

What do I do when I get a "bad URL" or "Error 404", or some other "not found" message?

This message indicates one of several things:

• the article is recent and has yet to be loaded on the site, which means 'get it' cannot retrieve it until the publisher places it on its site;
• the 'get it' links are incorrect and need to be updated;
• the site on which the resource is loaded is experiencing technical problems;
• your internet provider is blocking you from accessing that site .

Please contact to report the problem.

How can I find out more about or obtain further assistance?

For assistance using , send your question to .

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Last Modified: August 28, 2009
Maintained by , Thomas J. Bata Library.