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E-resources can present a number of problems, some of which originate within the library and many that do not. Here are some common problems and possible solutions. In all instances, if you can't get something to work, contact the E-resources Librarian or Library Technology Specialist.
Problem | Why it occurs | What to try |
502 Bad gateway error | A server is receiving an invalid response from another server. | Refresh your browser. Clear your cache! Try again later if possible.. |
400 Bad Request | The server is unable to recognize what you want to do based upon the link. | Clear your cache, including cookies! |
404 Error | This is probably a broken link at the publisher level. |
Notify the E-Resources Librarian. If at night or on a weekend, you may need to hunt down the appropriate link by going to the publisher website. |
"we've encountered a problem" | This is a vague response from a database site; ProQuest is famous for this one. |
Clear your cache, try a different browser -- all of the usual solutions. Make sure your browser is the latest version. Notify the E-resources Librarian if all of the above fails! |
Full text is available, but when the link is clicked, the full text cannot be found. |
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Look at the "publications" page of the database and see if the title is there and what the coverage is, embargo periods, etc. Contact the E-resources Librarian with the problem when you are able to do so. |
Publication Finder provides the same title, same ISSN twice. |
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EBSCO can often fix this. If not, it is usually due to their agreement with the publisher(s). In any case, notify the E-Resources Librarian. |
An off campus user tries to get a full text article, but a page opens that says "you do not have permission to view this page" or something to that effect (not a log in page). The article can be accessed from within the library. | Most likely a proxy problem. |
The E-Resources Librarian or Library Technology Specialist can probably fix this. |
Can there be fewer links for a title in Publication Finder? If a title is in four of the Gale databases, do all of them need to display? | This happens during the set up period for holdings. All possible providers are selected to display. |
If this is a real problem, it can be discussed at a special meeting in the future. It's possible to hide entire packages/providers and titles, but we want to be sure we aren't hiding titles that are unique to a package. In addition, this creates quite a bit of extra work for tech services, especially in maintenance. |