A permalink, also referred to as a persistent link, is a static (or "permanent") link to a particular online resource or web page, meant to be unchanged for years to come.
The links to articles, books and book chapters in library databases are often dynamically created. That is why you cannot just copy and paste the URL from the address box into Canvas. Additionally, links to articles in restricted library databases need to include the EZ Proxy prefix so off-campus authenticated users can access them.
If you are having trouble locating a permalink or DOI in the database you are using, please contact Ask A Librarian for assistance. To have permalinks created for you, use our Permalink Request Form.
You can use the database-provided permalink or a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) to create your permalink. Following are instructions for creating EZ Proxy authenticated permalinks to copy into your Canvas site or course website. With the proxy, authorized users are taken to a page where they can select the PDF link to access the full text of the document.
Permalinks are available in many library databases:
Permalinks links are identified through a variety of names and buttons in library databases. Some of those include:
If the database has a permalink you can copy and paste that link directly into Canvas or any other means you would like to use to share the article. It will include the WSU authentication.
If the database does not have its own method of creating a permalink that passes through the WSU EZ Proxy authentication, or a DOI you can use to create a permalink (see instructions below), you can create your own Permalink.
Add the following EZ Proxy link resolver script to the front of the link to create an WSU authenticated permalink for your students. This will allow access both on and off-campus
https://proxy.lib.wayne.edu/login?url=
How do I know if the database provided permalink includes the WSU EZ Proxy authentication?
Look at the link provided by the database. If it includes the word "wayne" somewhere, it is likely that it is an authenticated link. If you have questions, contact your Subject Specialist Librarian for help.
The DOI (or Digital Object Identifier) is a standardized method for identifying an electronic object. Publishers are increasingly using DOIs to uniquely identify articles, book chapters, or any other "objects" in their databases.
When available, the DOI is the preferred method of linking to a document because it is platform independent and will never change.
How to create a Permalink using a DOI
You can use the DOI Link Generator in Canvas under the "More External Tools" menu in any text box.
You can construct a DOI Permalink as follows:
https://proxy.lib.wayne.edu/login?url=https://doi.org/ (This adds our proxy server authentication script and the doi resolver)For example, if the DOI for your document is doi:10.1016/j.jinteco.2004.07.002, this is what it would be with the proxy added: https://proxy.lib.wayne.edu/login?url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2004.07.002