Information Resources for Healthcare and Social Services

E-journals FAQ

1. Where can I find electronic journals?

Metropolia library’s e-journals can be found in MetCat Finna. You can search for a specific journal. You can also browse journals. Click Available online -links to access the journal.

2. Why can’t I access the article?

Not all articles are available in electronic format (even when the library has access to the electronic journal). This could be due to various reasons:

• Specific volumes of the journal might not be included in the library license, or are simply not available in electronic format. This is often the case with older volumes, in which case use MetCat Finna to check the availability of the journal in printed format.  
• Publishers can set an embargo period (6-12 months) for their journals. During this time new articles are not available electronically, and cannot be accessed.
• If you are using your home computer to locate journals and articles, make sure you are logged into MetCat Finna first.
• Sometimes there are temporary breaks in the service, so try again later. 

3. Why doesn’t a database have this article in electronic format even though the e- journal should be available?

Different databases can have same references (details about articles) but the full text article if often available only through a specific database. This is why the details of e-journals available in different databases are gathered together in MetCat. Thus, if a database does not have the required article in full text format, always check the journals availability in MetCat (see question 1).

Some databases also include SFX -links. Clicking this link will automatically check the availability of an article.

4. Why do e-journals that I access via MetCat function in different ways?

Links to e-journals in MetCat can take you to various pages, e.g. journal homepage, publisher homepage, other database. Thus, different journal pages work in different ways. Usually you can search for a specific article, or browse the journal archive to locate a specific issue of the journal.

5. MetCat does not contain the e-journal I need. What can I do to access the journal?

Universities have diverse collections. If another university’s collections include the journal you require, you can access the journal by visiting that library (no remote access).

If no university in the metropolitan area holds the required journal, contact the library staff so they can investigate ordering it via a different supplier.

6. Why can’t I access the journal from home?

If you wish to use e-journals remotely, remember to log in to MetCat Finna using your Metropolia user name and password, and accessing the journal via MetCat.

Some journals may not have remote access even if they are in MetCat Finna, and are only available within Metropolia network. If you are unable to access a journal from home, try again on a campus computer.