OLinks Troubleshooting
When searching reference databases there are many reasons why an OLinks link to full-text may or may not appear and other reasons why a link might fail. The OLinks option appears in reference databases running on the following search engines:
- Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
- EBSCO
- ISI
- MathSciNet
- NISC
- OCLC
- OSearch (OhioLINK databases)
- ProQuest (some databases)
- PubMed
- RLG
If in doubt report the problem or refer the patron to Penny (292-6247).
No full-text link on OLinks page
Try the following:
- Check the list of OSU e-journals included in OLinks. You can view this spreadsheet in the shared group space Collection Managers\OLinks\[date] or download the list from OhioLINK.
- Try the OLinks link to OSCAR, display the OSCAR bib record for the journal and connect to the electronic version.
- Report any e-journal titles you believe should have a full text a link on the OLinks page to Penny (292-6247). Provide the database title and the complete article citation.
OLinks link to full-text does not work
Try the following:
- Try another citation from the same e-journal to see if it works. This might confirm if that e-journal site is temporarily unavailable or if the problem is with the specific article.
- Search OSCAR for the e-journal title.
- Link to EJC full-text results in an error message that the ISSN is not available: This happens if that specific article has not yet been loaded into the EJC. If in doubt connect directly to the EJC and view the list of volumes and issues available for that e-journal.
- Links to Wilson full-text results in error message that no full-text is available: The data Wilson sends OhioLINK contains errors that cause a link to full-text to appear on the OLinks page but then none is found when you connect to the Wilson server. OhioLINK has reported this problem to Wilson.
Off-campus users and OLinks
Libraries' off-campus sign-in form (using EZProxy software)
If off-campus users sign-in using our Off-campus Sign-in form, links to e-journals from OSCAR or reference databases work only if the publisher's domain name is in the EZProxy configuration file. If a link fails, the off-campus user will be prompted by the publisher's site to enter a username/password. Report these problems to Penny (292-6247) so they can be corrected.