Supersearch guide

Linking to full text with SFX

What is SFX and why should I use it?

SFX provides links to full text and other services.

Sometimes when you search a database you'll only get a citation and abstract with no full text. The full text article might be available in another database, but how do you know? That's where SFX can help. SFX can link you to full text in other databases.

As well as linking you to full text, SFX provides other services. For example, you can check to see if something is available in the Swinburne library catalogue or the catalogues of other libraries, or you can search for the item or information about the item in a web search engine such as Google.

SFX buttons appear in Supersearch and selected library databases including EBSCOhost, InfoTrac, ProQuest, Scopus and Web of Knowledge. If you have a citation for an article you can use the SFX Citation Linker to try to find the full text article.

The SFX buttons can look different in different databases  but they work the same.

An SFX Full Text button may appear in Supersearch and some databases. When you see a Full Text button you know that SFX can link you to full text. Clicking the Full Text button displays a short SFX menu just with links to full text.

Using SFX

When you click the SFX button the SFX menu opens in a new window.

The SFX menu shows services for the selected record including links to full text (if available) plus other links you can use to check the Swinburne library catalogue, other library catalogues, and web search engines such as Google.

Linking to full text

If SFX finds links to full text these will be displayed first on the menu.

Click the Go button. SFX will open a new window to connect you to the other database. SFX will try to connect you as close as possible to the full text item. For example, for an article in an online database SFX will try to connect you straight to the article screen.

Because of the way different databases work, sometimes SFX won't be able to connect you straight to the article. For example, SFX might only connect you to a journal page, a table of contents page, or the database start page and you will need to navigate to the article from there. Use the year, volume, issue and start page shown on the SFX menu to navigate to the full text article.

Sometimes there will be more than one link to full text. Choose whichever link you prefer.

If there's no fulltext...

SFX will display a message if it can't find any full text links...

SFX includes about 90% of the full text journals available at Swinburne, so even if SFX doesn't find full text you might still be able to find full text in another database. You could try to find full text using one of the following services on the SFX menu.

Check holdings in library catalogues

Use these links to check holdings in Swinburne's library catalogue and Swinburne's online journals directory.

If you don't find the item in Swinburne's catalogue you can check other library catalogues.

Choose a library from the dropdown list, then click the underlined link. SFX will search for the book or journal in the selected catalogue.

Check web search engines

Choose a web search engine from the dropdown list then click Go.

SFX will search for the title in the selected search engine. Sometimes you can find the full text item using a web search engine. You might also find related information so this link is useful even when there is a link to full text.

Choose this link to search in Google Scholar...

SFX will search for the article title or book title. To search for an author choose Author from the dropdown list then click Go.

Other articles by the same author?

Check for other articles by this author in Web of Science.

Additional services for staff, researchers and higher degree students (Masters and above)

If SFX finds no full text links a new heading "Additional services for staff, researchers and higher degree students" appears at the end of the menu. Click the heading to see the additional inter library loan services.

Inter library loan services are only available to Swinburne staff, Masters by research students and above, and (with some restrictions) Masters by coursework students.

SFX CitationLinker

If you have a citation from a reading list or bibliography you can check for links in SFX using the CitationLinker.

Enter as many details as possible in the CitationLinker screen, then click the SFX button. The SFX menu will open with links to full text (if available) as well as links to check library catalogues and search engines.

Go to the Citation Linker