| What is SFX? |
SFX is a linking technology that enables
a user to determine whether the CSUS Library owns (or can provide access
to) a desired work for which the user has a citation. When the
desired item is available in electronic form, SFX can facilitate direct
linking. When the Library doesn't have the item in electronic form,
SFX can support catalog searches to determine whether the item is
available locally in print form or initiate an interlibrary loan/document
delivery request.
The name "SFX" stands for "special
effects". You can learn more about SFX at the SFX
Web site. |
| Who can use SFX? |
Currently registered CSUS students,
faculty and staff are able to use SFX both on campus and from remote
locations. |
| How do I access SFX? |
- In most instances, using SFX is as simple as
looking for a button marked "SFX".
- The location of this button varies depending on
the database being searched. Sometimes it appears at the brief
record level; other times you need to click on the detailed record in
order to see it. In some instances there is no button, but SFX
is still present. For example, with the SilverPlatter databases,
look for a "WEBLH:SFX" label instead of a button.
- Clicking on the button or link opens up a menu
that displays a list of available full-text or other services for the
item.
|
| Which resources are
SFX-enabled? |
The list that follows
identifies Library resources that are currently enabled for SFX. The
identifies Library resources that are currently enabled for SFX. The
Library will continue to enable new resources as they are added to our
database offerings and/or as existing databases become OpenURL compliant
(a requirement for SFX).
ABI/INFORM
Agricola
America History and Life
Art Abstracts
Article First
Bibliography of the History of Art
Biological Abstracts
Book Review Index
Books in Print
Chicano Database
CINAHL Plus with Full-Text
ClasePeriodica
Communication and Mass Media Complete
Computer Database
Contemporary Women's Issues
Criminal Justice Abstracts
Dissertation Abstracts
ECO
EconLit
ERIC (FirstSearch & CSA)
Expanded Academic ASAP
|
Ethnic NewsWatch
General Reference Center Gold
General Science Abstracts
GEOBASE
GPO
Historical Abstracts
Humanities Abstracts
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts
Medline
Military and Intelligence Database
MLA Bibliography
Papers First
Physical Education Index
Proceedings First
PsycINFO
Reader's Guide Abstracts
Social Sciences Abstracts
Social Services Abstracts
Sociological Abstracts
WorldCat
|
|
| Why do I fail to see the
SFX menu in SFX-enabled resources? |
Software such as Pop-up
Zapper and Pop-up Stopper (both of which turn off pop-up ads) turns off
SFX as well since SFX uses a pop-up window. If you have such
software installed on your computer, you will need to turn it off in order
to see the SFX menu. |
| Why all the windows? |
- When you click on the SFX button or link, a new
window opens to display the SFX Menu. Then, when you click on
one of the links listed in the SFX menu, a new window is always
opened.
- Each window will stay open until you close it.
- Be careful to close only your SFX windows and not
your (original) search window.
|
| Why doesn't full text
always appear as an option? |
A lack of full text most
likely reflects one of two things:
- either the item isn't available in electronic
form (often the case for earlier years of journal titles) or
- the Library doesn't subscribe to the title in
electronic form. That's why the other options in the SFX menu
are important. Check OLLIE to see if the Library owns the
desired item in print form, or use the ILL option to request that it
be obtained from you through interlibrary loan.
|
| When full text is
available, why don't I always go to the article level? |
SFX takes you as close as it
can to the actual article. The structure of some databases -- Dow
Jones Interactive, for instance -- precludes its going any further than
the database level. In this instance, you'll need to repeat your
search for the item in the full-text database.
For articles availabe in LexisNexis Academic, SFX will
open a window with a Source List and the name of the journal
which contains the desired article. Choose the link that
says "Search this Title" and then search for
words from the title of the desired article.
Examples of how to use LexisNexis
from an SFX link available online
|
| Why don't I see any SFX
icons? |
- The most likely cause is that you have JavaScript
disabled in your browser. If it's turned off, the SFX button
won't appear. Re-enable JavaScript and everything should be
fine.
- Not all databases have the capability to use
SFX. If you see the SFX button in some databases and not others,
your JavaScript preferences are most likely not the explanation.
- Some databases (SilverPlatter databases, for
example) use something other than the familiar SFX button to indicated
linking. In other cases, the database may not be compatible with
SFX, hence SFX-facilitated linking is not possible
|
When I go back to make a
second selection from the SFX menu, nothing seems to happen. What's
going on? |
- This problem is limited to Internet Explorer.
- When you first click on an option in the SFX
menu, IE opens a secondary browser window on top of your open
windows. However, when you make another selection, that
secondary browser window may appear below or behind the current
window.
- One solution is to drag the secondary browser
window to another portion of your screen so it's not blocked by the
SFX menu.
- Another solution would be to use Netscape or some
other browser.
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