LexisNexis Academic URL API Specification

Revision as of 10:31, 21 October 2010

You can create permanent links to search forms, sources, documents and even saved searches using the URL API specification.

Before You Start

User Authentication

See the article About Subscription Links for user authentication issues.

Shortcut: Lists of Links

Instead of building your own links, you may be able to simply copy the link you want from one of these sources.

• See Category:Academic Links for pages on this wiki that include lists of links.
• Go to http://www.delicious.com/lnacademic to see our Delicious bookmarks, including topical and geographic lists.

Moving to the New Interface

Links to the old interface that was retired in August 2010 should continue to work. However it is best to update them to the preferred format for the new interface. Please see the Migration Guide article for directions on converting your links for the new interface.

Resources

URL API Specification

Download the URL API Specification. Click here for .pdf

Tools

A wizard type tool for creating the links described below is available in Beta release on our site for Subscriber Tools

Direct Link To Search Any Source

See the article on Finding a Source CSI

Examples

For more examples and complete descriptions of these types of links, please download and read the URL API Specification provided above.

Document-Level Link

Run a search that retrieves a specific document.
Example: Link to an article in Chronicle of Higher Education
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=171267&sr=BYLINE(Lila+w/3+Guterman)+AND+HLEAD(Journal+Eases+AND+Policy)+AND+DATE+IS+June+28+2002

Source-Level Link

Also called "title-level links." Opens the Power Search form, with the specified source already selected and ready to search.
Example: Search within the New York Times
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=6742

Note: The LexisNexis A-Z Title list on the Subscriber Tools site includes links to all individual titles. You can create a link for any source (including group sources which are not included in the A-Z Title List). All you need is the CSI (Constant Source Identifier) to add after the "csi=" part of the URL. In the New York Times example above, the CSI is 6742.

You can use the Source Directory to get CSIs. See the article on Finding a Source CSI

Table of Contents Links

LexisNexis has created an advanced Table of Content (TOC) search form for legal materials that supports both browsing and searching. TOC view is available for 200+ sources, including the United States Code and all state codes.
Example: Link to TOC view of the United States Code
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=toc&csi=6362

Note: As with the Source-Level links, there is no need to construct your own TOC links. A list of all TOC links is available at Subscriber Tools

Search Form Link

Open a specific search form. See the complete list of direct links at Academic URLs for Search Forms
Example: Open the Federal and State Cases Search Form.
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sf?&sfi=AC07STCseCmnSrch

Saved Searches

Run the specified search in LexisNexis Academic
Example: Finds all stories in the “Business” section of today's New York Times.
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=6742&sr=SECTION(business)+AND+DATE=%25CURRDATE%2

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s an “API”? The acronym stands for “application programming interface.” It’s a mechanism that allows programmers to call functions within another application. In this case, you will be constructing a URL rather than writing a computer program. The application you will send instructions to is the LexisNexis Academic service itself, and you will be able to call the following three functions.

• Document-level link – retrieves a specific document.
• Source-level link – opens the Power Search form and populates the source selection options to facilitate user-initiated searching of a specific source.
• Academic URLs for Search Forms– open any search form in LexisNexis Academic.

The URL API is also used to support third-party vendors who provide article linking and federated search software to academic libraries. The developers of these systems can use the API to link authorized user automatically to full text documents in the LexisNexis Academic service. In the case of link resolvers, the required document is identified from a citation in a source database and, once LexisNexis Academic is identified as an appropriate target database, the API is used to deliver the full text document. Federated search services can use the API in a similar way, to link from a citation in their results list to the full-text document in LexisNexis Academic.

Do I Have To Install Anything? No. The URL API Specification simply provides directions for constructing URLs. The API does all the work of interpreting these URLs within LexisNexis Academic.

When Will My Link Resolver Work with LexisNexis Academic? That depends on whether the company or in-house team that provides your link resolver has incorporated the LexisNexis A-Z Title List and the URL API into its service. LexisNexis is currently working with the following companies and organizations to support their link resolver systems. If your provider is not on this list, please direct them to this webpage to obtain the Specification and LexisNexis contact information.

• CSA
• Ex Libris/SFX
• OCLC Openly Informatics
• OhioLINK
• Serials Solutions
• TDNet

Terms of Use

The LexisNexis® Academic URL API Specification is subject to the following Terms of Use.

LexisNexis provides this Specification to promote alternative means of accessing LexisNexis Academic. LexisNexis grants you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to download, copy, and use this Specification subject to the following terms:

1. You may use the Specification to develop applications that access LexisNexis Academic via the API for use by you and third parties. You may not use the Specification for any other purpose.
2. Access to LexisNexis Academic requires a separate subscription and is governed by the user's applicable LexisNexis Subscription Agreement. Use of the API does not amend or supplement any such Subscription Agreement. You may only use this Specification and the API to facilitate legitimate use of LexisNexis Academic. Without limitation, you acknowledge that LexisNexis prohibits the use of scripts and other automated means of conducting multiple searches on LexisNexis Academic, and you understand that use of this Specification and the API in that manner will result in termination of this license and may also result in suspension or termination of access to LexisNexis Academic.
3. LexisNexis may choose to provide support to you in connection with your use of this Specification, however LexisNexis is not obligated to provide support.
4. LexisNexis reserves the right to change or discontinue the API and this Specification at any time without advance notice. Please refer to this web site regularly for information about updates to the Specification.
5. LexisNexis provides this Specification and access to LexisNexis Academic through the API on an "as is" basis, without warranty of any kind, and disclaims all express and implied warranties.
6. LexisNexis provides this Specification and access to the API without additional charge. Accordingly, you agree that LexisNexis will have no liability arising from or based on the use of or inability to use this Specification or the API, including without limitation consequential, incidental, or other indirect damages.
7. LexisNexis retains ownership of and all intellectual property rights in the Specification and the API.
8. These Terms state the complete agreement between you and LexisNexis concerning this Specification and your use of the API.

It is the policy of LexisNexis to improve its products and services as new technology and content become available. LexisNexis therefore reserves the right to change these specifications without prior notice.