Database linking FAQs

Are there any copyright issues associated with linking?

To ensure copyright compliance all linked resources must open in a new browser window. To do this, here are the instructions for:

Moodle:

1. From the "Add a resource" menu, select "Link to a file or web site".
2. Enter the name of the web site (this will be the name of the web site link displayed for students to click on).
3. You can also enter a summary of the website (this is helpful for students to identify what the web site is about if they have selected the resources page).
4. In the "Link to a file or web site" location field; enter the URL you have generated using these instructions.
5. Scroll down to "Window" and select "New Window" from the Window drop down menu.

Dreamweaver:

1. Once you have created the link, place the cursor within the link, open the "Properties" box, and click on the drop down arrow next to "Target" and select "_blank".

Frontpage:

1. When you paste a URL into a page you are editing in Frontpage, the program will automatically turn it into a hyperlink (you may need to insert a space after the URL first).
2. To make it open in a new window, right-click on the link and select "Hyperlink Properties".
3. In the box that opens, click on the "Target Frame" button on the right-hand side.
4. In the list under "Common Targets", click once on "New Window" and then click "OK" and then "OK" again.

Editing the HTML using a text editor:

1. In the hyperlink, change <a href=" to <a target="_blank" href="

Why are my links not working?

 Here are some reasons why links may not work and some recommended solutions:

• If you are editing the html code, you may have forgotten a quotation mark " or a bracket < >. Check the code to ensure all elements of the tag are included. A correct html link should appear like this:

Bonadonna, R 2003, '<a target="_blank" href=http://ezproxy.cqu.edu.a/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=c8h&AN=2004016683&site=ehost-live> Meditation's impact on chronic illness</a>', Holistic Nursing Practice, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 309-319, (online CINAHL with Full Text)

• Links will not work if there is a space in the html code. Even if you have copied the link from the database linking instruction page, you must ensure that there are no spaces in the link itself.

• If you have typed the link rather than copied it, there may be a typing error. It is recommended that you copy the link from the database linking instruction page using your computer's copy function rather than transcribing it.