Troubleshooting journals

Having problems accessing the e-journals you need? This information may help, but if not, please feel free to contact us.

Why won't my login give me access to a journal?

Many e-journals request an Athens username and password, but if the NHS or Illingworth Library has not subscribed to that particular journal you may not be able to access it. To check which full text journals you can access, login to the NHS Evidence MyJournals.

Why can't I access the most recent articles?

Some publishers have an embargo on their electronic journals. This could mean a delay of months or years before issues become available to access electronically. The length of the embargo varies for individual journals and unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do about this. Another reason may be that the full text coverage may have ended before the present year. MyJournals will show you the dates of full text coverage available and provides links direct to the journals.

Why can’t I access a journal found through MyJournals?

This may be for the same reason as the previous question. Alternatively it may be that there is a fault with the link to the journal. If you think you should be able to access a journal and can’t please contact us to report the fault.

How do I get an article I have found in a literature search but where there are no full text links?

If the article is not available electronically from the NHS we can easily obtain it for you. Visit the document supply service page for more information. Alternatively it may be available through the University of Sheffield or in print. Visit the journals page for more information.

Why do I keep getting a 'concurrent' user error message?

Some electronic licenses only allow one user at a time to access the full text. If you get a message indicating that the limit for concurrent users has been reached, you will need try later when no-one else is accessing the journal.

How do I access a University of Sheffield electronic journal?

An honorary contract with the University is required to access their e-resources via MUSE. Consultants and trainees in a ‘run through’ paediatric post working for Sheffield Children’s NHS FT are eligible. Download an application form here. Visit the University of Sheffield Electronic Resources page for details of available resources.

What is a PDF and how can I access articles in this format?

Full-text journal articles are often provided in pdf format, which requires the use of a pdf reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is already available on most PCs but can also be downloaded free of charge.

Can I keep an electronic and print copy of the article?

Material obtained from online resources is protected by licence arrangements with the individual supplier and is not covered by the NHS Copyright Licence. In general, this means that each person who requires a copy of an article must download it and print it themselves. So for example, if an article is required by 10 people for a journal club, each person must download and print their own copy. In addition, electronic copies of articles or other online resources should not be stored on a computer; they should be printed and the file deleted.

Can’t find the journal you need?

If the journal is not available online or in print you can use our document supply service to obtain copies of any articles you need (there is a charge for this service).