LexisNexis Academic URL API Specification
You can create permanent links to search forms, sources, and even documents through URL API specification.
Note: If you're looking for quick links to search particular sources in LexisNexis Academic, many of the links are already on the wiki. Click the Academic Links category below for a list of URL API links that have already been created and posted here for you.
Contents |
Current Interface
The directions below apply to the LexisNexis Academic interface that was released January 8, 2010. Please see the end of this page for directions related to the Old Interface.
Download the Specification
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 how quickly your provider is able to incorporate 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
Examples
If you are an authorized user currently connected to your institution’s network, you should be able to try out the three different function by below by clicking on the URLs below.
Document-Level Link
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 (aka "Title-Level") Link
Search within the New York Times
http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/api/version1/sf?shr=t&sfi=AC00NBGenSrch&csi=6742
Search Form Link
Open the Federal and State Cases Search Form. See also the complete list of Academic URLs for Search Forms
http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/api/version1/sf?shr=t&sfi=AC07STCseCmnSrch
Return back to the Academic page.
URL Update Guide
Please see the Migration Guide article for an explanation of your options for moving to the new interface. Please note that it is not absolutely necessary for your institution to do anything other than test its access to the new interface. At the end of the migration period in summer 2010, all URLs pointing to the old interface will be automatically redirected to point to the new interface. This the deep links to specific search forms, sources, and documents.
Subscribing institutions that wish to begin using the new interface before the end of the migration period will need to update the URL for the product home page. They will also have the option of updating their deep links to point to the new interface as well. Some subscribers may choose to point to the new interface for general use without updating their deep links. This is perfectly reasonable approach. Other subscribers may prefer to update their deep links to make a complete transition to the new interface and avoid adding an extra redirect jump in the user's connection to LexisNexis Academic.
Updating Links to the Home Page and Specific Search Forms
The basic URL for the new interface is http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/ which will open the product home page. Direct links to each search form in the new interface are listed in the article on Academic_URLs_for_Search_Forms
Updating Source-Level Links
Links to specific sources, sometimes referred to as Title-Level Links or Journal-Level Links, can be updating using the migration spreadsheet or the find and replace rules listed below.
Migration Spreadsheet
This spreadsheet lists each source in the December 2009 version of the A-Z List, with the URL for the source-level link to the old interface and corresponding URL for the new interface. The list is intended to be used as an input for a batch update process.