Skip to Main Content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Database Troubleshooting

This guide provides an overview of OpenAthens, allows you to report an access problem, and provides troubleshooting guidance on specific database access.

Public Records Tip

If, after going to Public Records and you receive a blank page or Lexis sign-in page after entering your permissible use information. Third-party cookies may need to be allowed in your browser for the LexisNexis domains.

Steps to allow third-party cookies on Google Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome, click the three vertical lines icon on the far right of the Address Bar.
  2. Click on Settings > then click on Privacy and security in the left column.
  3. Click on Third-party cookies.
  4. Go to the Sites allowed to use third-party cookies section.
  5. Click Add and add the Lexis domains (using the format below)
    • [*.]lexis.com
    • [*.]lexisnexis.com
    • [*.]nexis.com

Instructions for Edge and Firefox are similar to the Google Chrome instructions.

Sharing Lexis Links

To share a Lexis link with a colleague or on a clippings email, you can manually amend it to easily allow an OpenAthens user to access it.

 

nyt in lexisFor example, to link a NYT article, start by logging in with our Friendly URL: https://library.doc.gov/LexisNYT.  When you find an article, click the chain link icon highlighted below and copy the URL.

 

When you have the URL, copy the following parameters and paste them into the URL in the location noted below:  &federationidp=CDB43G63413&

URL from Lexis:  https://plus.lexis.com/api/permalink/cfbadb92-8a4f-49bb-aae5-23821d51e76b/?context=1530671

Amended URL:  https://plus.lexis.com/api/permalink/cfbadb92-8a4f-49bb-aae5-23821d51e76b/?&federationidp=CDB43G63413&context=1530671

When users click on the amended link, they will be recognized as OpenAthens users.  They will either be asked to log in with OpenAthens or, if they have already logged in for the day, they will be taken directly to the article in Lexis.

Access Issues?

If you are having trouble accessing any of the LexisNexis databases, many issues may be fixed by following the LexisNexis Browser Troubleshooting Guide.

Get Help

If you have any specific questions about Lexis, you can reach out directly to our Lexis trainer for a one-on-one or customized office training.

Meghan Atwood:
meghan.atwood@lexisnexis.com

Email the library at research@doc.gov for additional help.