Research Guides: Integrating Library Resources Into Your Canvas Course: Linking To An Article

Instructions Out of Date?

We understand that what works one day may not work the next. If the information on this page is outdated and needs edits, please contact the HSU Library.

Overview of Linking Articles

You may have a specific article or two in mind that you wish to have your students access in a given course. You can establish a link in canvas that will take your learners directly to the article you reference. The most important element to success with this is utilizing an article's permanent link, or permalink (see box on right for additional information). A standard url is likely not to work, especially if the material is accessed off campus.

Note: The library asks that you not download an article and then place it directly into Canvas. We need to know how often our databases are accessed so that we have the usage data needed to make decisions related to these resources.

Linking Directly To An Article

To add an article in Canvas, complete the following steps:

Step 1: Click on the Plus icon to the right of the title of your module.

Step 2: Click on the drop-down menu box on the screen that comes up. Select Add External URL.

Step 3: Enter the permalink of the article that you want to insert. Be sure to give the article a title in the Page Name field, one that makes it easily identifiable.

Step 4: Click on the Add Item green rectangle. Your screen should look like this.

Permalink vs URL

When you incorporate links to articles in Canvas. It is critical that you use a permalink instead of a URL. Read below for an explanation of the two:

Permalink: A web address that links directly to a specific page or certain content at a location that is never changed or updated. If you need to access articles located within a database, a permalink is the best option to use. In order for your link to work, the address must begin with the following sequence:

http://ezproxy.humboldt.edu/login?url=

URL: A web address that links directly to a specific page or certain content at a location that may be updated on a regular basis. A website that continuously updates itself with new content, such as a news website, will use URLs to direct information seekers to content. Once that information is obsolete, new content can plugged into a specific page. An example of a url is:

http://www.nameofwebsite.com/article_link_will_not_always_work

Locating The Permalink

You must locate the permalink of an article or eBook in order to make the link work in Canvas. To locate the permalink, complete the following steps.

Step 1: Click on the article or eBook that you wish to embed into your course.

Step 2: Locate the permalink on the page for the article or eBook. Each database will place the permalink in a different location. You may have to look around to find it. For any title in an Ebsco database, look on the right side of the screen for the Permalink icon. The icon will look like this:

Step 3: If prompted, click on the permalink text or simply copy the permalink using Ctrl+ C.