SciFinder Scholar

Overview

To access SciFinder Scholar from your desktop, you must install the client on your personal computer. If your department has a technical representative, contact that person about using this software. If your department does not have a technical representative, you may wish to contact DoIT for technical support.

Valid Users

Any valid UW-Madison campus user may access SciFinder Scholar from a personal computer. This includes campus sites with Internet connections and WiscVPN remote access users.

Minimum System Requirements (v. 2007)

Windows:
  • Computer: PC with at least a 450 MHz Pentium-class or equivalent processor
  • Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 2000 (SP3 or higher), XP (SP1 or SP2), or Vista
  • Memory: 256 MB RAM
  • Available Hard Disk Space: 50 MB (not including pagefile memory); 90 MB for installation  
  • TCP/IP network level connection.
Macintosh:
  • Computer: Apple® Macintosh with an Intel x86 or Power PC G4 or G5 processor
  • Operating System: Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4
  • Available Hard Drive Space: 65 MB
  • TCP/IP network level connection.

Client Installation

  1. Check with departmental technical representative, program administrator, or project leader.
  2. Open SciFinder Client Distribution Page.
  3. Read appropriate system installation guide.
  4. Launch the Windows .exe or MacIntosh .hqx file and complete the default installation.
  5. (Windows only) Copy the site.prf file to the directory on your hard drive where you installed SciFinder Scholar. Do not open the ".prf" file. There was one reported instance where opening the ".prf" file corrupted Outlook Express.

Off-Campus Access

To use SciFinder Scholar from off-campus, users must connect via WiscVPN using a static IP address.

PDF instructions

To set up WiscVPN for Scifinder Scholar access from off-campus:

  1. Reserve a WiscVPN static IP address at http://www.doit.wisc.edu/network/vpn/static.asp.
  2. Download and install the current WiscVPN client at http://www.doit.wisc.edu/network/vpn/index.asp.
  3. Verify that you can connect using the dynamic profile.
  4. Locate the on-campus static profile at http://vpn.doit.wisc.edu/download/static/.
  5. SAVE the WiscVPN-OnCampusStatic profile in your profiles directory of the VPN client:
    • Windows: C:\ProgramFiles\Cisco Systems\VPN Client\profiles.
    • MacIntosh: SAVE FILE to desktop.
  6. Launch WiscVPN.
    MacIntosh: To import wiscVPN-OnCampusStatic.pcf
    • Click IMPORT.
    • Select WiscVPN-OnCampusStatic.pcf on the desktop.
    • Click OPEN.
  7. Click WiscVPN-OnCampusStatic in the VPN client window.
  8. Click CONNECT.
  9. Enter your STATIC VPN LOGIN and your NetID PASSWORD.

To access SciFinder Scholar from off-campus:

  1. Launch WiscVPN.
  2. Click WiscVPN-OnCampusStatic.
  3. Click CONNECT.
  4. Enter your STATIC VPN LOGIN and your NetID PASSWORD.
  5. Launch SciFinder Scholar.

See DoIt Help Desk Knowledgebase information about WiscVPN.

Scifinder Scholar Updates

Notify General Library System/Library Technology Group if you wish to receive client-related notifications.