Citing Sources: Persistent Links/Permalinks

What is a persistent link?

A persistent link, sometimes called a stable, durable, or perma-link, is the URL or web address to a specific online article, eBook, or video. The link allows the resource to be accessed anywhere, at any time by current Jefferson College students, faculty, or staff.

Do I still have to login?

Yes, but now you should only have to sign in once with single sign-on! Our databases are subscription resources, purchased according to our enrollment and bound by licensing agreements. We are required to authenticate users accessing these resources off-campus as current Jefferson College students, faculty or staff. However, thanks to single sign-on, you can now simply make sure you're logged into your Jefferson College email account, or go through MyJeffco and use the website in the same browser in which you have signed into MyJeffco, to get direct access to all of these databases without having to log in to each individual database.

How do I create a persistent link?

Thanks to two-factor authentication, you should no longer need to use a proxy to create your own persistent link. Most databases will provide you with a permalink/stable link right there on the detailed record/article access page that you can simply copy & paste into a document, email, or Canvas assignment. These databases should have an option to copy the permalink but if you need help with this, please do not hesitate to contact a librarian. We are happy to help you get acquainted with this process and to answer any questions you may have.

In the detailed record, click the Share arrow at the top of the page to the right of the article or book title.

Now, under Share, click the "Create Link" option.

From here, you can manually highlight and copy the link or click "Copy to clipboard" and then paste the link into an email, Canvas, etc. to ensure consistent, seamless access to this article record.

You can use a permalink to access an article from anywhere, such as a webpage, an email message, or a discussion board, and still comply with copyright law and database licenses. Plus, using persistent links helps the library keep your favorite database! Using a persistent link is like casting a vote for your favorite online resource. Using these links provides usage statistics that justify the purchase of these databases. 25 students clicking on a persistent link to access an article is very different than one download of the article being used for the entire class.

But why can’t I just save a copy of the article?

Downloading the article and attaching it to an email message or uploading it to Canvas is a violation of copyright law and database licenses. Doing so is both against the law and harmful to the cultivation of academic discourse.

As of Fall 2025, Discovery and most EBSCOhost databases have been updated so that webpage URLs can also work as permalinks. This is a notable change, as previously webpage URLs were temporary and would break so that they could not be used to get back to the same article or search again. Now, these databases and Discovery will allow you to copy the webpage URL and use it like a permalink. See the example below:

While on the detailed record page, you can select the URL at the top and use this as a permalink. It is not temporary, nor will it break. You can also use this same method to save searches!

Databases this applies to include:

• Discovery
• Academic Search Complete (Elite & Premier) 
• APA PsycARTICLES
• Education Full-Text
• SOCIndex
• Business Source Premier
• Literary Reference Center
• and more!