As title says, are there any ways I can get access to research without having to buy my own subscription/membership or buying the papers individually? I’ve already checked with my school and we don’t have access to an extensive database. Thank you in advance for everyone’s help.

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dildozer666 t1_iughj4f wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:24 AM

Also, if you contact the first author of a paper they will usually send you a free copy

TacoSimulator19 OP t1_iugkzjo wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:57 AM

Thanks for the advice. How would you recommend constructing an email for that? Would a simple “I’m interested in your research paper, would you mind sharing it with me” or something along those lines work?

ForwardUntilDust t1_iuglkje wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:03 AM

Pretty much.

ertmeister t1_iugi0ix wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:29 AM

Yeah I’ve seen this floating around. Most of these academic databases are just charging for themselves since they have to host all this shit, but apparently the authors don’t see any of this money. Email the authors and see if you can get them straight from the source.

AdditionalRabbit4516 t1_iugo4ez wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:31 AM

I am surprised no one has said sci hub. When you find the paper you want, copy the DOI. It will be listed near how to cite it, or part of the URL. Go to sci-hub.se and enter the DOI.

dildozer666 t1_iughe86 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:23 AM

Pubmed and Google scholar are pretty good. Also check out browser extensions like Unpaywall. Depending on your major, joining a professional society may give you access to a good database. For chemistry, joining ACS is $25 annually & gives you access to a lot of papers.

whootdat t1_iugk4n0 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:49 AM

Since you're said your school doesn't have access, your public library very well may instead. Usually a school or university would have access to a catalog of research papers, so if you're near a public university, you may be able to use their library to research as well.

TacoSimulator19 OP t1_iugl2r9 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:58 AM

I’ll check out my local college’s library, thanks for the advice

_Pumpkin_Muffin t1_iugt09j wrote on October 31, 2022 at 5:31 AM

sci-hub is a pirate database created to remove barriers and allow widespread access to scientific knowledge. Sadly it is illegal.

keepthetips t1_iugfwu8 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:10 AM

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rwhelser t1_iugii5i wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:33 AM

Go through your school’s library (including their website). Most schools have agreements with the journals to obtain free copies of journal articles.

[deleted] t1_iuisrsj wrote on October 31, 2022 at 5:26 PM

[removed]

FastAndForgetful t1_iujt1fc wrote on October 31, 2022 at 9:31 PM

If you know what you’re looking for, contact the author. They’re usually more than happy to share their work