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SFX® FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

About SFX

• What is it?
• How do I use it?
• Who can use it?
• Can I use from off campus?
• Sometimes there are several links to full-text. Why?
• Sometimes there is no link to full-text. Why?
• When I click for full-text, sometimes the link is just to the journal or publisher home page, not to the article. Why?

SFX Problem Report

• Please fill out an SFX Problem Report if you have any trouble using SFX.

About

What is it?

The icon represents embedded SFX software. SFX a powerful tool that links databases with other online resources, including e-journals, the library catalog, and ILLiad (interlibrary loan).

1. Obtain full-text articles
   
   Embedded links will help you obtain articles that you find cited in library databases. SFX uses OpenURL standards to enable dynamic links between citations in databases and full-text articles.
   
   If the article is not available online, SFX also provides a direct link from the citation to Cameo (library catalog), so you can see if Carnegie Mellon subscribes to the printed journal and where it is housed.
   
   If Carnegie Mellon does not own the journal, SFX also provides a direct link to ILLiad, the interlibrary loan system. If you don't need the article immediately, use the ILLiad to request the article from wherever it can be found.
   
   
2. e-Journals A-Z
   
   SFX also generates a fairly complete list of Carnegie Mellon's e-Journals A-Z, which provides access to most of the online journals available to the Carnegie Mellon community. Search by journal title or subject.
   
   
3. Citation Linker
   
   Do you have a citation in hand, and want to see if the article is available at the library? Citation Linker is also powered by SFX. top

How do I use it?

Look for the icon in your library database search results. Click to see how to obtain any particular article. Options will include:

1. Full-text, if Carnegie Mellon has the article online. SFX links to the article wherever it is available to you.
2. Cameo (see if Carnegie Mellon owns the journal in print). SFX enters search terms from database citation.
3. ILLiad (request interlibrary loan). SFX fills in the request from the database citation. top

Who can use it ?

Current Carnegie Mellon students, faculty and staff can use SFX any time, from any Internet connection. In-library visitors who are logged in with guest passes can use SFX from library workstations. top

Can I use from off campus?

Absolutely, if you are a Carnegie Mellon student, faculty or staff member. Computing Services has two Virtual Private Networking (VPN) solutions in place to insure that members of the current Carnegie Mellon community can access the library resources they need from any computer network. Learn about using WebVPN and CiscoVPN at Remote User Access. top

Sometimes has several links to full-text. Why?

Carnegie Mellon may subscribe to full-text journals directly from a publisher like Springer or the American Chemical Society. Frequently, full-text databases such as ProQuest Direct or LexisNexis Academic also will provide access to the same journals. If there is more than one full-text link, choose either one and enjoy knowing you have a back-up source. top

Sometimes has no link to full-text. Why?

Perhaps the publisher has not put the article online in full-text. Or perhaps Carnegie Mellon does not subscribe to full-text, either from the publisher or via a full-text database such as AccessScience. top

When I click for full-text, sometimes the link goes to the journal or publisher home page, not to the article. Why?

Publishers control whether articles may be linked directly or whether they must be searched on their journal or web sites. top