If a record has the Access now PDF button, this link will give you direct access to a scanned copy of the article or essay just as it appeared in the original publication. PDF is a superior digital format for this purpose : it’s searchable by keyword, using the PDF file’s own menus. It can be listened to, saved or printed easily. And the links to PDF files are very stable, so you can email records to yourself with a high degree of confidence that you will be able to open the record and read the article later (the link typically remains active for a week).
If a record has an Access Options drop-down button, the options may or may not include a full-text option. Sometimes you will see only a Full Text Finder link. That link may send you to another database we subscribe to, such as Academic Search Complete. It may send you to the publisher’s own page for that article — some publishers will allow you to read the article or download a PDF, while others want to charge you for access. Examine the publisher’s page carefully for a link to a free digital document. If you don’t find one, don’t despair — we probably own the journal in paper format in the Periodicals stacks, or we can request it for you through Interlibrary Loan.
If these options seem baffling, please contact Mengistu Lemma and let him help you.