1. What is SFX?
2. Why is the full text not always available?
3. Why is there sometimes more than one option for full text?
4. Who can use SFX?
5. How do I access SFX?
6. Why don't I see any SFX buttons?
7. When I click on the link to the full text, I only get to the journal's home page or the table of contents. Why?
8. Once I am in the database that is supposed to have the full text, when I click to get it, the article isn't there. Why not?
9. What do I do when I get a "bad URL", an "Error 404", or some other "not found" message?
10. Why did I get no hits when I clicked on "Holdings in CSU Northridge catalog"?
11. Why are there multiple windows?
12. Why does the number of options in the SFX menu vary?
13. Does SFX work with Pop-Up Zapper and Pop-Up Zapper Lite?
14. Where can I get more help?

1. What is SFX?

• SFX is a software program that provides direct links from library databases to related online services, such as full-text and catalog holdings information, if available.
  
• After searching one of the Library's SFX-enabled databases, clicking the SFX button next to a citation produces a menu with direct links to one or more of the following:
  • full text of the article
  • table of contents of the journal, which links to the full text
  • database home page, which must be searched to retrieve the full text
  • CSUN Library Online Catalog holdings
  • Pharos, the catalog of the CSU libraries holdings
• Not all options will appear at all times in the SFX menu. SFX listings are determined by the information available in the record you started with as well as by whether or not a database is SFX-enabled.
• There's more information about SFX on their web site: http://www.sfxit.com/

2. Why is the full text not always available?

• If the option to link to full text is not on the SFX menu:
  • The Library does not subscribe to the full text for that particular title, or
  • The publisher of the title may not provide full text online, or
  • The title is not available in full text through SFX.
  • Therefore, you should also check the CSUN Library Online Catalog, or the CSUN List of Electronic Periodicals.

3. Why is there sometimes more than one option for full text?

• Occasionally the same journal is available in more than one database. 

4. Who can use SFX?

• Current CSUN faculty, staff, and students may use SFX, both on- and off-campus. 
• When you click on the SFX button from off-campus, you may be prompted to enter your library barcode and last name. 

5. How do I access SFX?

• Some of the Library's databases are linked to the SFX service. 
• When you find a record in one of these databases, click on the SFX button . This will open a new window with a menu of service options. 

6. Why don't I see any SFX buttons?

• The most likely cause is that you have JavaScript disabled in your browser. If it's turned off, the buttons will not appear. Re-enable JavaScript and everything should be fine. 
• Not all databases have the capability to use SFX. 

7. When I click on the link to the full text, I only get to the journal's home page or the table of contents. Why?

• Sometimes SFX can only take you to the journal's table of contents or a database home page. From there, you will have to browse the table of contents to locate the issue and article you need; or, search the database to retrieve the full text.

8. Once I am in the database that is supposed to have the full text, when I click to get it, the article isn't there. Why not?

• Sometimes the article citation appears in a database before the publisher has made the full text available. Check to see if another database listed on the SFX menu does have the full text.
• Sometimes, the publisher or author withheld the full text of the article from online databases. Check the CSUN Library Online Catalog or the CSUN List of Electronic Periodicals to see if the journal  is available.

9. What do I do when I get a "bad URL", an "Error 404", or some other "not found" message?

• SFX is a work in progress. Links are generated "on-the-fly" based on our best knowledge of how to link to the resources in question. Sometimes the links may be wrong, or they may be out-of-date because a publisher has made changes to its site. 
• Please let us know by using the Ask a Librarian form.

10. Why did I get no hits when I clicked on "Holdings in CSU Northridge catalog"?

• CSUN does not have that particular title. If the item is not available at all, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan.

11. Why are there multiple windows?

• When you click on an option within an SFX menu, a new window is always generated. 

12. Why does the number of options in the SFX menu vary?

• When you click on the SFX button, the system displays only those services which are available for that particular citation.  Therefore, different citations will have different SFX menus.

13. Does SFX work with Pop-Up Zapper and Pop-Up Zapper Lite?

• If you use either of these shareware programs, you must turn them off in order to use SFX. Instructions are located on the following web site: http://www.batista.org/
  

14. Where can I get more help?

• Ask a Librarian

  Adapted from CSU Stanislaus Library's SFX FAQ page by K. Dabbour and J. Wakimoto.

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