SFX FAQ
Searching and research is a complex process. There are so many databases, and even more journal titles. Now there is tool that will make the process that much easier.
SFX is a tool that links library patrons to the articles that they are looking for. To see SFX in action look for 
in Healey Library databases.
- How can SFX help me?
- What does SFX do?
- Who can use SFX?
- What options are available through SFX?
- Why does the number of options in the SFX results screen vary?
- Why is full text not always available?
- Will SFX get me to all journals subscribed to by the library?
- What databases are supported by SFX?
When you find a citation in a database clicking on will show if full text is available. No additional searches are need, SFX does it all for you!
SFX links directly from a citation of an article in a database to full text of the cited article. When you click on you will see a list of services in a pop-up list of results. These results may include electronic subscriptions, links to records of print copies in the library catalog, web based access (Google Scholar) or Interlibrary Loan options.
Anyone with a current Healey Library barcode can use SFX.
4. What options are available through SFX?
- Link to full text of the article, if available
- Automatic search of the Healey Library Catalog
- An Interlibrary Loan request form if there is no print or electronic copy available
- Ability to search Google Scholar or Web of Science for additional articles by the cited author
- Ability to export citation to Refworks or Zotero bibliographic construction tools.
- A link to contact a librarian for additional help
- Links to eBook collections held by the Healey Library.
5. Why does the number of options in the SFX results screen vary?
When you click on , SFX determines which services are available for the article cited. The SFX results window only displays options that are available for that citation.
6. Why is full text not always available?
A link to Full Text appears in the SFX results page when the Healey Library subscribes to that journal for that particular volume and issue. If we have print copies of the volume a link will appear for the Healey Library Catalog. If the citation is for an older issues or a very recent issue electronic full text may not exist for that particular journal. Any cited article not available through Healey Library can be requested through the Interlibrary Loan link in the SFX results window.
7. Will SFX get me to all journals subscribed to by the library?
No, SFX uses an OpenURL to take information from a citation and uses it to find the specific article. Not all journals and databases are OpenURL compliant. As more journals become OpenURL compliant they will be added to SFX. To see a list of journals that are in SFX see the eJournals A-Z list.
You will see either the linked text SFX FIND TEXT or in the majority of the databases that Healey library subscribes to.
Some of the more popular databases you will see in are:
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