I haven’t received my online access instruction letter, who should I contact?
Please contact our Membership Co-ordinator, Julie Wright, at the Society who will arrange for an access instruction letter to be emailed to you within 24 hours. The only details you need to provide are your full name and membership reference number (if you know it).

What do I need to access Synergy?
You will need a computer with an Internet connection, an Internet browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4x or better or Netscape Navigator version 4.7 or better or Opera version 5 or better. You will also need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or above to be able to download and read PDF’s. This can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe's website. We recommend you use the latest version available but Synergy is designed to work with Acrobat version 4 or above.

I have registered on Synergy but when I try to log on I keep returning to the log on screen and can not seem to get access. What is wrong?
You will need to set your Internet browser to accept cookies, temporary or session cookies will be sufficient. A cookie is a small file stored on your computer that enables Internet sites to recognise you when you next return to that site. If you are using a computer at a library, university or your work place you may need to contact your IT department before making any changes to your computer’s Internet settings.

I have registered but forgotten my passwords, what do I do?
If you think you may have registered on Synergy but forgotten your password, go to the main Synergy Web page at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com and select the ‘Forgotten your password?’ link. You will be asked to type in your email address and then your username and password will be emailed to you.

Where do I find my offer code/membership reference?
Once you have paid your membership subscription, you should have received a letter giving this information. Your offer code is ‘SFAM’ and you can contact our Membership Co-ordinator at the Society to get your membership reference or another copy of your letter.

I have registered successfully, but my Homepage on Synergy does not list my Society’s journal? When you first register with Synergy and access ‘Your Homepage’, it will say that you have no subscriptions. You need to select the ‘Access’ tab on the tab bar menu and go on to enter your offer code of ‘SFAM’, then click the ‘Continue’ button. At the next page enter your Surname and membership number as supplied to you in your online access instruction letter. Then ‘Your Homepage’ will automatically be up-dated and will list the sfam titles as current subscriptions.

I have successfully registered and entered my Offer Code but when I enter my family name (last name/surname) and membership number I am told that my details were not found, what have I done wrong? Did you enter your surname and membership number exactly as they appear in the letter/email you received? If you did, send an email to onlinehelp@blackwellpublishing.com with your username, password, family name (surname/lastname) and Sfam Membership number. Please clearly tell us which Society journal you are trying to access and that your details were not found. The Synergy Help desk will contact you by email to inform you how to proceed.

I have successfully registered and entered my Offer Code, but when I enter my family name (last name/surname) and membership number I am told that my details have already been registered for this offer. What have I done wrong? Have you previously registered with Synergy with a another/different username and password? If you have activated your Offer Code on another account and since forgotten or mislaid your username and password for that account you will have duplicated your registration and your Offer Code will no longer work. For security reasons each Offer Code will only work once with your username and password. To resolve this problem go to http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/password.asp and enter your email address in the box provided. You will receive an email containing details of any accounts you have set up on Synergy. If you have more than one account it may be that you have already activated your Offer Code on another account. In that event, please try all your accounts.

Can I access/print articles from non-sfam journals? You can access abstracts of any articles in any title on Synergy free of charge and you can also access the full text of any issues marked as ‘free sample issues’. These will have a yellow ‘Free Sample Issue’ image next to the issue in the journal table of contents list.

I have changed my address/email address. What should I do? Access your Membership profile by clicking on "Services - Membership - My Profile", log on with your sfam username and password and amend you details. Then click "update". This will automatically update your sfam membership details in our membership database and notify the Society of the changes you have made. The Society will then notify Blackwell Publishing of these changes.

Will my Synergy access continue as long as my sfam membership is up to date, or do I need to renew each year? Your online access via Synergy to the sfam titles will be renewed each calendar year as long as your sfam membership subscription remains fully paid and up to date.

I have not found an answer to my question/ Where can I get more help?
Synergy has online help available. You can select a help link or button anywhere on Synergy and the online help will pop up in a separate window. There is help specifically for Society members. If you find the help does not answer your query fully you can contact the help desk by email at:

onlinehelp@blackwellpublishing.com

or by telephone in the UK on: 01865 476434
(lines are open from 08:00 to 17:00 GMT - and calls are charged at national rates)

Where can I get more information about Synergy?
For the Society's own Synergy FAQ click here (frequently asked questions)
For information on how to access Synergy click here
For the latest information on Synergy usage click here
To go to directly to the synergy website click here

Read the online version of Letters in Applied Microbiology
Read the online version of Journal of Applied Microbiology
Read Environmental Microbiology