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University of Alberta Libraries

University of Alberta

Get-It FAQ

Why don't I see any buttons in a database that I know is Get-It enabled?

If you do not see buttons in a database that you should, the following may explain why:

The Get-It link resolver software requires Java Script to be enabled. If you have Java Script disabled in your browser, the buttons may not appear. To enable Java Script on Internet Explorer, go to Tools/Security/Custom Level.Browse for Scripting/Active Scripting and select Enable for Scripting of Java applets.
In some databases, the button may not appear on the short title ("titles only") results screen. You may need to go on to the full/complete record to see the button.
Some databases may not display the button. Instead, a text link is used.
Some databases may not display a text link, rather, the citation itself might be the link.
A few databases do not display the University of Alberta button, but instead display a generic button like this:

Clicking this button will bring you to the Get-It menu.
Another example of a generic button is:

When I click on a Get-It link, why do I see an error or "not found" message?

An error or "not found" message may appear for the following reasons:

Some full-text services do not provide access to very recent articles. If another full-text Get-It link is available, check tosee whether the document you need is available from that service. If not, check the library catalogue for the availability of the articlein print or check the online full-text link at a later date to see whether the article has become available.
There may be a problem at the publisher end, e.g. the publisher may have failed to post an issue or there may be an access problem at their web site.
There may be an error in the reference. If you suspect an error in the reference, check a different database to verify the correctbibliographic information provided for the reference. Then when you have the correct information, use the Citation Linker to link to the article.

In any of the above cases, please report the error to us so we can fix it in a timely manner. To report an error or "not found" message, a citation error or publisher site access problems, click on Report Broken Link on the Get-It menu.

Why is it that when I click on the button, nothing seems to happen?

The Get-It link resolver software makes use of pop-up windows, so if the popups are not appearing, disable any software you may be using to block pop-ups for this site.

When I click on full-text, I sometimes go to the table-of-contents or the publisher's home page. Why?

The ideal Get-It link is one that connects users directly to the full-text of the articles they need. However, not all publishers have provided the ability to link directly to full-text. In such cases, Get-It links may link you only at the issue level, the volume level, the table of contents level or the journal website level.

If you are linked at one of these less than ideal levels, you will need to navigate your way to the full-text of the article. If you need assistance do this, please ask for help at any Library Service Desk or use one of our Ask Us services.

Why doesn't full-text always appear as an option?

If there is no option for full-text on the Getï¿½It menu, either the article is not available in online/electronic format (which often is true for earlier years of journal titles), the Library does not have an online subscription to the title, or the article appears in a non-Get-It-compatible journal.

When there is no link to full-text on the Getï¿½It menu, check the NEOS Libraries Catalogue to see whether the article you need is available in a non-Get-It-compatible resource or to see whether a print version of the article is available. A link to the catalogue will appear on the Get-It menu if Get-It determines (on the basis of an ISSN or ISBN) that the item is our collections.

JSTOR is labelled as Getit enabled, so why don't I see any Getit links?

The Getit link will only display in JSTOR itself, i.e. in JSTOR article citations, where there's not yet any fulltext for journals common to JSTOR and Project MUSE. A list of these titles is available here.

Why are recent articles sometimes unavailable?

Some publishers place "embargo" periods on their newly published electronic journals. This means that for, say, six months after publication, the journal is only available in print and may not be accessed electronically. In these cases, Get-It cannot provide a full-text link. Please check the catalogue for print holdings.

Why are there multiple sources for the same full-text?

Sometimes full-text is available from more than one service, so we provide links to all of them. If one service is temporarily unavailable or does not provide the format you prefer (e.g. .pdf), you have the option of using another.

If I already have a citation, can I use Get-It to find the article and create links to it?

Yes. The Get-It software provides a feature called Citation Linker which allows you to enter citation information and be linked to full-text. The Citation Linker is located at http://www.library.ualberta.ca/getit/citation/

If you then wish to link to the Get-It menu for a particular article (which will contain a link to full-text if available), use the OpenURL generator available at:http://resolver.library.ualberta.ca/resolver/ to create an OpenURL that can then be used as a reliable link to the article. NOTE: If these links will be used by off-campus users, ensure that the link is directed through the University of Alberta EZProxy server. For more information about this, please see Linking to Library Resources

Why is it that when I go back to make another selection from the Get-It menu, nothing seems to happen?

This is a problem that occurs on Internet Explorer. When you first click on a link in the Get-It menu, a second window opens on top of your open window. If you make another selection from the Get-It menu, the second browser window may appear below or behind the current window.

To view the new selection, select it from the status bar at the bottom of your screen or close out the original window(s) that opened.

Why did my database session time out?

Most databases time out after a certain amount of inactivity. If you are reading full-text that you linked to from the Get-It menu, the database will consider this as inactivity. Your database session may close, and you will lose your search. To avoid being timed out, return to the database periodically and register some kind of activity (e.g. click on a link within the database, view a record, etc).

Time outs on most of our databases is fifteen minutes.

What if I have more questions?

If you have more questions or need assistance in interpreting the screens you see when you click on the button, contact any of our Service Desks. See Ask Us A Question for contact information.