University Libraries

Tips for Using Fulltext Electronic Journals

• Get it! Frequently Asked Questions
• Printing articles

• PDF vs HTML - as a general rule choose PDF if you are going to print the article; choose HTML if you are going to read it on the screen
• When printing PDF files, check the "print as image" box. (Often this isn't necessary but sometime files do not print properly and "print as image" will fix the problem.)
• Please promptly report problems with library printers to the nearest service desk. If a printer is jammed, it doesn't help to send the print job again!
  
• Please print responsibly; print only what you need. Reams of printouts are left at library printers each week. It's expensive and terribly wasteful!
  
• If you need help to print only certain pages, to select a printer, or to email or save articles instead of printing, please ask at the nearest service desk.

• Choosing "best" fulltext from several options In all cases, when you choose a link from our fulltext pages you will leave Washington University Library and enter web space elsewhere, at a database or publisher web site. Be prepared to scroll, experiment and use "help" files. Every option is a little different. These general tips may be useful when you are trying to choose from several possible sources for fulltext:

1. Publisher sites will usually offer format that closely matches the printed version and is available quickly, often before print publication! Examples of such sites are ACM, ACS, AIP, AMS, BioOne, Cambridge University Press, Ingenta Select, Cell Press, Highwire Press, Project MUSE, ScienceDirect, Springer Verlag LINK, Wiley Interscience and many more.
2. JSTOR is an excellent option when it covers the year(s) you need. Online version will match printed version well.
3. Quality of fulltext in database type links varies in the Database sources, e.g., LexisNexis Academic.
   "Text" indicates text only, not precisely equivalent to print version.
   "Text with graphics" indicates entire content from print version but not in precisely the same format.
   "PDF" is complete content in a format that closely matches the print version.
   Genderwatch provides only Text options.
4. Some of the database links will connect to the database and then you need to search to retrieve some fulltext version. For example:
   
   • When you choose Business & Company Resource Center or GenderWatch links, you must enter and search for the Journal title in the appropriate search box.
     
   • Search for Source (Journal) title in Health and Wellness Resource Center also; Advanced Search is the easiest place to do that.
     
   • When you choose LexisNexis Academic or Contemporary Womens Issues links, a search box will be displayed with the journal title already input. To retrieve fulltext you must input some other search word(s) in the search box(es).
   • When you choose Applied Science Fulltext, Art Fulltext, or Education Fulltext, first choose the database and then search for the journal name. SearchPlus is the best option for searching!

• Access from outside of Washington University Campus

• What journals are available via the proxy server?
  If a journal you want is not listed, please contact library.webmaster@wumail.wustl.edu or contact your subject librarian. Sometimes our license does not permit off-campus access by authorized users; sometimes we haven't asked the publisher yet.
  
• How do I set up my web browser to use the proxy server?

•   Known problems

• If a password is requested, this is probably a problem that should be reported. However a few journals do require passwords. Access info (for WU users only).
• Prepublication citations: Some databases (specifically PubMed) index articles as soon as they are available on the web. These prepublication articles are sometimes a bit tricky to find. They usually won't have volume numbers or page numbers. They are accessible at the online journal web site but you will need to look around for their location. Publisher practice varies, for example, Springer Verlag calls these articles "Online First," Wiley calls them "Early Views," etc.
• Additional medical titles accessible at WU: Becker Medical Library subscriptions may be included when the Danforth campus has access to them but this coverage isn't comprehensive. Please check their Catalog for more complete information on medical titles. If the Becker Catalog note says "Access restricted to WU faculty, staff, and students," fulltext should be available to all WU users. If the Becker Catalog note says "Access restricted to WU Medical School faculty, staff, and students," access is available only to Medical campus users.
• Becker Library Journals@Ovid: Danforth campus library staff can log users onto the Ovid system on request.
• Extenza titles: To open fulltext at the Extenza site you will need to turn off your pop-up blocker or add www.extenza-eps.com as a pop-up-allowed site.
• Variant titles: We have noted some inconsistent entries; if you don't find a title, double check with keyword search or ISSN.
  
• Ingenta: We are noticing that many titles from this supplier lack any access to 2005 issues. If you notice this, please do report the problem so we can complain and possibly seek another supplier. Thank you!
• Problems with specific titles:
  • none at this time

• Other problems or suggestions?
  Contact library.webmaster@wumail.wustl.edu or contact your subject librarian.