Accessing multiple resources from multiple organisations

 Are you a Keele student but also an NHS member of staff? Are you an NHS member of staff completing a university course? Do you have a membership for a royal college or society?

A word about working with multiple resources, from multiple organisations…

Generally, we advise you to use all the resources available to you. This includes resources from the university but also resources you can access as NHS staff and possibly resources you can access as part of your membership to colleges or societies.

However, searching lots of different resources can throw up some problems. The main problem is that resources can get confused if you are using different logins to access different resources. Many resources try to pick up your previous login credentials which may not be relevant for that resource. This can result in errors and difficulty logging in. So, what can you do...

We advise you to use "incognito" or "private" browser windows. These types of browse windows will not retain your previous login, essentially having a fresh start. Have a private browser window for each login that you use, for example:

• Private window 1 - use your Keele University login to use Keele University subscribed resources (or other university if that is where you are registered)
• Private window 2 - use your NHS OpenAthens login to use NHS-based resources
• Private window 3 - use your society login to access society provided resources

If you get into a bit if a tiz, the only thing you can do is close all browser windows and start again. You may even need to clear the cache of your browser but be aware that you will be logged out of resources as part of this process.

We have been made aware that some IT departments are restricting the use of "incognito" or "private" browser windows. You may not be allowed to open these. In this situation you could try using a different browser for the different organisations. For example, use Microsoft Edge for Keele University resources and Google Chrome for NHS resources.

Please contact the Health Library if you need any more help.