Research Tip: Stable URLs - Getting back to the article you found

Have you ever been interrupted while researching and copied the search URL in an email with the intent to return to your search at a later time? If so, you have learned that in most cases, it does not work when you return to it.

Why? Each time you start a session in one of the library's databases, a unique session ID is attached to that search. When the window is closed, the database considers your research session over and the URL is no longer valid.

The fix: enter stable URLs. A stable URL is a short URL listed somewhere in the record for the article or periodical that you are interested in. It can also be called a permanent URL or a Permalink. If you bookmark, save, or copy a stable URL, you will be able to directly return to the article you selected. Look for stable and permanent URLs in our library's databases.