Q. What is a permalink and where do I find it?

A permalink (also called persistent link) is a link that will take you through the library's login page in order to access the article. Some of the databases, such as EBSCO and ProQuest, have the permalink already created. Some other databases have the permalink listed in the citation section of the article.

• In EBSCO, you can click on an article title and click on the Share icon in the top right. After that, click on Create Link and then Copy to clipboard. 
• In ProQuest, you will select Abstract/Details under the article title. In the upper right-corner of the next page, click the chain-link symbol labelled Copy URL. 
• If a database does not have a “share” function or simply does not provide permalinks in the database, in most cases you can create your own permalink. You can create a permalink by copying the link in the URL and pasting that URL into the OpenAthens link generator.

OpenAthens Link Generator

Once you paste your URL into the OpenAthens link generator, a new URL will be generated below the “Enter your links” bar. If you did not encounter a red error message, this new URL is likely to be longer and feature different characters such as percentage signs and "2F" or "3F" in the URL. This change is expected behavior. Please note that it is essential to test these links before putting them into coursework or sending them to other people.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to us at (434) 582-2220 or at research@liberty.edu.