When you do a search or find an article, the URL is usually a temporary link that’s only valid for a few hours. If you copy a URL and then try to return to it later, you’ll usually run into a login page, like the one shown below.

Instead of copying that URL, you’ll want to find the available permalink (also known as permanent link, stable link, or persistent link). This link allows you to retrieve resources in the future because the permalink consistently points you back to that piece of information. You can copy permalinks, bookmark that link, save them in a document, or even send it to a friend!

Finding the permalink looks different in each database, but we’ll show you two examples in our two most common database interfaces.  

If you’re searching from the library’s homepage, you’re searching within an EBSCO database. To copy the permalink from an article, you’ll click on “Permalink” in the Tools menu on the right. This will open up the permalink above the article title. See screenshot below to see this in action.

Another common database vendor is ProQuest. They have a button called “Copy URL” in the top right that will provide you with the permalink. See the screenshot below to see this button.

We recognize you may have arrived at this FAQ after losing an article! We're sorry about that but hope this FAQ allows you to keep track of all your permalinks moving forward.