What is a PURL?
PURL stands for Persistent Uniform Resource Locator. In other words,
a persistent URL. Often, databases with full-text content may have links
that constantly change - making it impossible to "bookmark" an article.
A persistent URL is one that will be stable and unchanging.
What databases offer PURLs?
The following databases or vendors offer PURLs: EBSCOhost, JSTOR, Project MUSE, PROLA, ProQuest, Thomson/Gale, and PubMed Central. Others may also be available.
What if my favorite full-text database does not offer PURLs?
You may wish to put that item on reserve in the library. To put an
item on reserve see these instructions.
EBSCOhost
EBSCOhost offers several databases including Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, and Communication and Mass Media Complete. These databases include extensive full text coverage of many scholarly publications.
To link to EBSCOhost articles:
- Locate the article in the respective database.
- Click on the title of the article in the results page to retrieve the article's citation.
- Towards the bottom of the article's citation, a Persistent link to this record will be listed.
- Copy the persistent link, replace the domain with the proxied domain, and paste it into your syllabus.
JSTOR
JSTOR is an archival database and does not include current journal issues, but provides complete full-text back files for 350 journals from more than 25 academic disciplines. All journals are fully searchable or available for browsing.
For instructions on linking to JSTOR articles, click here.
Project Muse
Project MUSE provides full text electronic access to over 100 scholarly journals in the humanities, the social sciences, and mathematics.
All article level URLs in MUSE are stable, and adhere the following format: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/(full_name_of_the_journal)/v(three-digit volume number)/(volume#.issue#)(primary author's last name).html
For example:
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_imago/v053/53.2collins.html
...for the article "Through the Looking-Glass: Reading Warhol's
Superman," by Bradford R. Collins And David Cowart, in Vol. 53, issue 2,
of American Imago.
To ensure access to off-campus users, replace the first part of the URL with http://44139.gaclibproxy.pals.msus.edu/
PROLA
PROLA is the American Physical Society's Physical Review Online Archive. It includes the content of Physical Review from 1893 to five years ago, Physical Review Letters back to 1958, and Reviews of Modern Physics back to 1929.
Instructions on linking to PROLA articles and FAQ can be found here.
ProQuest Newsstand Complete
ProQuest Newsstand Complete provides indexing and selected full text access to over 350 newspapers from around the world. Archival coverage begins as far back as 1985 for some titles.
To link to ProQuest articles:
- Locate the full-text article that you wish to use.
- Copy the URL from either the address bar or from the article citation information (under Article URL).
- To ensure off-campus access, replace the first part of the URL with http://36981.gaclibproxy.pals.msus.edu/
Thomson/Gale Professional Collection
Professional Collection includes more than 300 full-text journals for educators in the following areas: arts and humanities; child and adolescent psychology and development; drug and alcohol abuse; health/nutrition/fitness; learning disabilities; literature; school law; science and technology; social sciences; and sports/athletic training.
To link to ProQuest articles:
- Locate the full-text article that you wish to use.
- Copy the URL from the address bar.
- To ensure off-campus access, replace the first part of the URLĂ, with http://8312.gaclibproxy.pals.msus.edu/
PubMed Central
PubMed Central "is a digital archive of life sciences journal literature" (PubMed Central homepage).
To link to PubMed articles:
- Locate the full-text article that you wish to use.
- Copy and paste the URL from the address bar into your syllabus.
Last updated 09/2006
