PubMed LinkOut FAQ for NCIF

• What is PubMed @ NCIF LinkOut?

• How do I access PubMed @ NCIF LinkOut?

• How do I "turn on" the Scientific Library's LinkOut icons in PubMed?

• How do I know if the Scientific Library has the full-text online or print when searching PubMed?

• How does this work?

• Where can I see the icons?

• What do the icons do?

• What online journals are available through LinkOut?

• Some records show an icon that is not the Scientific Library icon. What does this mean?

• Why can I view the full text for some issues of a journal and not for others?

• Why don't I get full text when I click on the the Print icon?

• I see a journal listed on the Library's Online Journals page, but I don't see the NCI-Frederick icon in PubMed. Why?

• What if I don't see the "NCI-Frederick Full-Text" icon on my citation, but I want the full text?

• What if I need more help?

What is PubMed @ NCIF LinkOut?

LinkOut is a feature of PubMed that provides links to web-accessible resources directly from PubMed citations. You can use LinkOut to determine whether the NCI-Frederick Scientific Library provides online full-text access to a journal article and/or whether the article is available in a printed journal in the library.

How do I access PubMed @ NCIF LinkOut?

Access LinkOut by connecting to PubMed using a special URL, unique to the Scientific Library: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=mducfrlib

We recommend that you to add this unique URL to your bookmark / favorites list.

How do I "turn on" the Scientific Library's LinkOut icons in PubMed?

There are three ways to see the Scientific Library's icons in PubMed.

1. Always enter PubMed through the "PubMed" link on the Scientific Library website under "Databases" or "Quick Links".
2. Always enter PubMed through our unique URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=mducfrlib.
3. Use your My NCBI account:
   • Sign in to My NCBI
   • Click on "Filters" in the blue sidebar menu
   • Select PubMed from the list of databases
   • Click on the "Search" tab
   • Enter 'Scientific Library' in the seach box and click "Go"
   • Click on 'Scientific Library' in the list of Matching Filters
   • Click the checkbox next to "Add a result tab for all items that match this filter"
   • Click the checkbox next to "Add a link icon to every item that matches this filter"

How do I know if the Scientific Library has the full-text online or print when searching PubMed?

When you enter PubMed through the "PubMed" link on the Scientific Library's webpage, you will see the "NCI-Frederick Full-Text" icons on citations for which the Scientific Library provides online full text.

If the library has access to online full text, you will see this icon:    

If the library has the article in a print journal, you will see this icon:    

How does this work?

Once you've accessed PubMed through the Scientific Library's unique URL, (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=mducfrlib), search the database as usual, then change the display to 'Abstract' or 'Citation' from the initial 'Summary' screen. You will then see the "NCI-Frederick Full-Text" or "NCI-Frederick Print" icon. These icons are only visible for the NCI-Frederick's subscribed journals.

Remember that users accessing PubMed from the general "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed" or "http://www.pubmed.gov" URLs will NOT be able to see the NCI-Frederick icons, so you must use the unique URL noted above.

Where can I see the icons?

Search PubMed as usual. Then, select 'Abstract' or 'Citation' from the Display dropdown menu. You will see the Scientific Library's icons. The icons appear on citations from the library's subscribed journals only. To see the icons, you MUST enter PubMed using one of the Library's three methods listed above.

What do the icons do?

You can click on the to take you to the full-text of the article. When you click this icon, you leave PubMed and are directed to the full-text provider's site. If the icon appears, this tells you that you are entitled to the full-text article as an NCI-Frederick employee. If you are not directed to the full-text, please contact the Library to report the problem at NCIFredLibrary@mail.nih.gov.

Click for information about the library's print collection of that journal. If you see both icons, it means that the library has the article in print and online.

What online journals are available through LinkOut?

Full-text journal articles are available through LinkOut if:

1. Publishers have provided their links to PubMed for inclusion in the LinkOut service

   AND

2. The Scientific Library has access to that electronic journal through a licensing agreement or subscription with the publisher.

You can also find links to free full text in PubMed. Look for this icon in the Summary display: . This indicates that there is a link to free full text on the citation.

Some records show an icon that is not the NCI-Frederick icon. What does this mean?

Some publishers provide PubMed with links to their journal articles through these icons. In some cases, the full-text is free. In other cases, access requires a subscription, or the article may be available on a "pay-for-view" basis using a credit card.

For best results, always click on the NCI-Frederick Full-Text icon to access the full text or look for a free full text icon. If there is no NCI-Frederick Full-Text icon and the full text is not freely available, the full-text may still be available to NCI-Frederick users and may be accessed through the Scientific Library's Online Journals page.

Why can I view the full text for some issues of a journal and not for others?

Access to full text is determined by the terms of the subscription license or contract between the Scientific Library and/or NIH Library and the full-text provider. The full-text provider determines which years and issues are available on the Internet and the cost of accessing these issues.

Additionally, full-text providers may choose not to provide links in PubMed for certain volumes, issues, or articles. Reasons for this vary, but typically full text may not be available for some material, including very new citations, letters, and editorials.

Why don't I get full text when I click on the the Print icon?

The Print icon indicates that the library has the volume and issue for the citation available in print. You will need to visit the library in person to use the paper copies of the journal to obtain the article.

I see a journal listed on the Library's Online Journals page, but I don't see the NCI-Frederick icon in PubMed. Why?

LinkOut depends on journal providers and publishers allowing libraries to create links to their online journals via PubMed. Some reasons why a journal might not be included in the LinkOut service and why our icon does not appear on a journal include:

• Some publishers are not currently participating in LinkOut. The NCI-Frederick Scientific Library's subscription may be from a publisher that does not participate in the LinkOut service. In any case, the full-text may still be available to NCI-Frederick users and may be accessed through the Scientific Library's Online Journals page.
  
• You may be looking at a very new citation, or a citation for which the publisher has not submitted links to LinkOut.
  
• LinkOut may be experiencing technical difficulties.

What if I don't see the NCI-Frederick Full-Text icon, but I want the full text?

The lack of an icon on a specific citation does not necessarily mean that the Library does not qualify for full-text online access. For a complete and searchable list of the Scientific Library's full-text online journals, check our Online Journals page.

If we do not have print or online access, we can always obtain a copy of the article for you at no charge from another Library. Use our convenient online Article/Book Request Form.

What if I need more help?

If you have any questions or need to report a problem with PubMed's LinkOut service, please feel free to call us at x1682 or email the Library.