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The Directory of Open Access Journals
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21 Legit Research Databases for Free Journal Articles in 2024
#scribendiinc
Written by Scribendi
Has this ever happened to you? While looking for websites for research, you come across a research paper site that claims to connect academics to a peer-reviewed article database for free.
Intrigued, you search for keywords related to your topic, only to discover that you must pay a hefty subscription fee to access the service. After the umpteenth time being duped, you begin to wonder if there's even such a thing as free journal articles.
Subscription fees and paywalls are often the bane of students and academics, especially those at small institutions who don't provide access to many free article directories and repositories.
Whether you're working on an undergraduate paper, a PhD dissertation, or a medical research study, we want to help you find tools to locate and access the information you need to produce well-researched, compelling, and innovative work.
Below, we discuss why peer-reviewed articles are superior and list out the best free article databases to use in 2024.
Download Our Free Research Database Roundup PDF
Why peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles are more authoritative.
![Peer-Reviewed Articles Peer-Reviewed Articles](https://www.scribendi.com/images/cms/Blog_2022/Peer-Reviewed_Articles.png)
Determining what sources are reliable can be challenging. Peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles are the gold standard in academic research. Reputable academic journals have a rigorous peer-review process.
The peer review process provides accountability to the academic community, as well as to the content of the article. The peer review process involves qualified experts in a specific (often very specific) field performing a review of an article's methods and findings to determine things like quality and credibility.
Peer-reviewed articles can be found in peer-reviewed article databases and research databases, and if you know that a database of journals is reliable, that can offer reassurances about the reliability of a free article. Peer review is often double blind, meaning that the author removes all identifying information and, likewise, does not know the identity of the reviewers. This helps reviewers maintain objectivity and impartiality so as to judge an article based on its merit.
Where to Find Peer-Reviewed Articles
Peer-reviewed articles can be found in a variety of research databases. Below is a list of some of the major databases you can use to find peer-reviewed articles and other sources in disciplines spanning the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
What Are Open Access Journals?
An open access (OA) journal is a journal whose content can be accessed without payment. This provides scholars, students, and researchers with free journal articles. OA journals use alternate methods of funding to cover publication costs so that articles can be published without having to pass those publication costs on to the reader.
![where to find research articles for free Open Access Journals](https://www.scribendi.com/images/cms/Blog_2022/Open_Access_Journals.png)
Some of these funding models include standard funding methods like advertising, public funding, and author payment models, where the author pays a fee in order to publish in the journal. There are OA journals that have non-peer-reviewed academic content, as well as journals that focus on dissertations, theses, and papers from conferences, but the main focus of OA is peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles.
The internet has certainly made it easier to access research articles and other scholarly publications without needing access to a university library, and OA takes another step in that direction by removing financial barriers to academic content.
Choosing Wisely
Features of legitimate oa journals.
There are things to look out for when trying to decide if a free publication journal is legitimate:
Mission statement —The mission statement for an OA journal should be available on their website.
Publication history —Is the journal well established? How long has it been available?
Editorial board —Who are the members of the editorial board, and what are their credentials?
Indexing —Can the journal be found in a reliable database?
Peer review —What is the peer review process? Does the journal allow enough time in the process for a reliable assessment of quality?
Impact factor —What is the average number of times the journal is cited over a two-year period?
Features of Illegitimate OA Journals
There are predatory publications that take advantage of the OA format, and they are something to be wary of. Here are some things to look out for:
Contact information —Is contact information provided? Can it be verified?
Turnaround —If the journal makes dubious claims about the amount of time from submission to publication, it is likely unreliable.
Editorial board —Much like determining legitimacy, looking at the editorial board and their credentials can help determine illegitimacy.
Indexing —Can the journal be found in any scholarly databases?
Peer review —Is there a statement about the peer review process? Does it fit what you know about peer review?
How to Find Scholarly Articles
Identify keywords.
Keywords are included in an article by the author. Keywords are an excellent way to find content relevant to your research topic or area of interest. In academic searches, much like you would on a search engine, you can use keywords to navigate through what is available to find exactly what you're looking for.
Authors provide keywords that will help you easily find their article when researching a related topic, often including general terms to accommodate broader searches, as well as some more specific terms for those with a narrower scope. Keywords can be used individually or in combination to refine your scholarly article search.
Narrow Down Results
Sometimes, search results can be overwhelming, and searching for free articles on a journal database is no exception, but there are multiple ways to narrow down your results. A good place to start is discipline.
What category does your topic fall into (psychology, architecture, machine learning, etc.)? You can also narrow down your search with a year range if you're looking for articles that are more recent.
A Boolean search can be incredibly helpful. This entails including terms like AND between two keywords in your search if you need both keywords to be in your results (or, if you are looking to exclude certain keywords, to exclude these words from the results).
Consider Different Avenues
If you're not having luck using keywords in your search for free articles, you may still be able to find what you're looking for by changing your tactics. Casting a wider net sometimes yields positive results, so it may be helpful to try searching by subject if keywords aren't getting you anywhere.
You can search for a specific publisher to see if they have OA publications in the academic journal database. And, if you know more precisely what you're looking for, you can search for the title of the article or the author's name.
Determining the Credibility of Scholarly Sources
Ensuring that sources are both credible and reliable is crucial to academic research. Use these strategies to help evaluate the usefulness of scholarly sources:
- Peer Review : Look for articles that have undergone a rigorous peer-review process. Peer-reviewed articles are typically vetted by experts in the field, ensuring the accuracy of the research findings.
Tip: To determine whether an article has undergone rigorous peer review, review the journal's editorial policies, which are often available on the journal's website. Look for information about the peer-review process, including the criteria for selecting reviewers, the process for handling conflicts of interest, and any transparency measures in place.
- Publisher Reputation : Consider the reputation of the publisher. Established publishers, such as well-known academic journals, are more likely to adhere to high editorial standards and publishing ethics.
- Author Credentials : Evaluate the credentials and expertise of the authors. Check their affiliations, academic credentials, and past publications to assess their authority in the field.
- Citations and References : Examine the citations and references provided in the article. A well-researched article will cite credible sources to support its arguments and findings. Verify the accuracy of the cited sources and ensure they are from reputable sources.
- Publication Date : Consider the publication date of the article. While older articles may still be relevant, particularly in certain fields, it is best to prioritize recent publications for up-to-date research and findings.
- Journal Impact Factor : Assess the journal's impact factor or other metrics that indicate its influence and reputation within the academic community. Higher impact factor journals are generally considered more prestigious and reliable.
Tip: Journal Citation Reports (JCR), produced by Clarivate Analytics, is a widely used source for impact factor data. You can access JCR through academic libraries or directly from the Clarivate Analytics website if you have a subscription.
- Peer Recommendations : Seek recommendations from peers, mentors, or professors in your field. They can provide valuable insights and guidance on reputable sources and journals within your area of study.
- Cross-Verification : Cross-verify the information presented in the article with other credible sources. Compare findings, methodologies, and conclusions with similar studies to ensure consistency and reliability.
By employing these strategies, researchers can confidently evaluate the credibility and reliability of scholarly sources, ensuring the integrity of their research contributions in an ever-evolving landscape.
The Top 21 Free Online Journal and Research Databases
Navigating OA journals, research article databases, and academic websites trying to find high-quality sources for your research can really make your head spin. What constitutes a reliable database? What is a useful resource for your discipline and research topic? How can you find and access full-text, peer-reviewed articles?
Fortunately, we're here to help. Having covered some of the ins and outs of peer review, OA journals, and how to search for articles, we have compiled a list of the top 21 free online journals and the best research databases. This list of databases is a great resource to help you navigate the wide world of academic research.
These databases provide a variety of free sources, from abstracts and citations to full-text, peer-reviewed OA journals. With databases covering specific areas of research and interdisciplinary databases that provide a variety of material, these are some of our favorite free databases, and they're totally legit!
CORE is a multidisciplinary aggregator of OA research. CORE has the largest collection of OA articles available. It allows users to search more than 219 million OA articles. While most of these link to the full-text article on the original publisher's site, or to a PDF available for download, five million records are hosted directly on CORE.
CORE's mission statement is a simple and straightforward commitment to offering OA articles to anyone, anywhere in the world. They also host communities that are available for researchers to join and an ambassador community to enhance their services globally. In addition to a straightforward keyword search, CORE offers advanced search options to filter results by publication type, year, language, journal, repository, and author.
CORE's user interface is easy to use and navigate. Search results can be sorted based on relevance or recency, and you can search for relevant content directly from the results screen.
Collection : 219,537,133 OA articles
Other Services : Additional services are available from CORE, with extras that are geared toward researchers, repositories, and businesses. There are tools for accessing raw data, including an API that provides direct access to data, datasets that are available for download, and FastSync for syncing data content from the CORE database.
CORE has a recommender plug-in that suggests relevant OA content in the database while conducting a search and a discovery feature that helps you discover OA versions of paywalled articles. Other features include tools for managing content, such as a dashboard for managing repository output and the Repository Edition service to enhance discoverability.
Good Source of Peer-Reviewed Articles : Yes
Advanced Search Options : Language, author, journal, publisher, repository, DOI, year
2. ScienceOpen
Functioning as a research and publishing network, ScienceOpen offers OA to more than 74 million articles in all areas of science. Although you do need to register to view the full text of articles, registration is free. The advanced search function is highly detailed, allowing you to find exactly the research you're looking for.
The Berlin- and Boston-based company was founded in 2013 to "facilitate open and public communications between academics and to allow ideas to be judged on their merit, regardless of where they come from." Search results can be exported for easy integration with reference management systems.
You can also bookmark articles for later research. There are extensive networking options, including your Science Open profile, a forum for interacting with other researchers, the ability to track your usage and citations, and an interactive bibliography. Users have the ability to review articles and provide their knowledge and insight within the community.
Collection : 74,560,631
Other Services : None
Advanced Search Options : Content type, source, author, journal, discipline
3. Directory of Open Access Journals
A multidisciplinary, community-curated directory, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) gives researchers access to high-quality peer-reviewed journals. It has archived more than two million articles from 17,193 journals, allowing you to either browse by subject or search by keyword.
The site was launched in 2003 with the aim of increasing the visibility of OA scholarly journals online. Content on the site covers subjects from science, to law, to fine arts, and everything in between. DOAJ has a commitment to "increase the visibility, accessibility, reputation, usage and impact of quality, peer-reviewed, OA scholarly research journals globally, regardless of discipline, geography or language."
Information about the journal is available with each search result. Abstracts are also available in a collapsible format directly from the search screen. The scholarly article website is somewhat simple, but it is easy to navigate. There are 16 principles of transparency and best practices in scholarly publishing that clearly outline DOAJ policies and standards.
Collection : 6,817,242
Advanced Search Options : Subject, journal, year
4. Education Resources Information Center
The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) of the Institution of Education Sciences allows you to search by topic for material related to the field of education. Links lead to other sites, where you may have to purchase the information, but you can search for full-text articles only. You can also search only peer-reviewed sources.
The service primarily indexes journals, gray literature (such as technical reports, white papers, and government documents), and books. All sources of material on ERIC go through a formal review process prior to being indexed. ERIC's selection policy is available as a PDF on their website.
The ERIC website has an extensive FAQ section to address user questions. This includes categories like general questions, peer review, and ERIC content. There are also tips for advanced searches, as well as general guidance on the best way to search the database. ERIC is an excellent database for content specific to education.
Collection : 1,292,897
Advanced Search Options : Boolean
5. arXiv e-Print Archive
The arXiv e-Print Archive is run by Cornell University Library and curated by volunteer moderators, and it now offers OA to more than one million e-prints.
There are advisory committees for all eight subjects available on the database. With a stated commitment to an "emphasis on openness, collaboration, and scholarship," the arXiv e-Print Archive is an excellent STEM resource.
The interface is not as user-friendly as some of the other databases available, and the website hosts a blog to provide news and updates, but it is otherwise a straightforward math and science resource. There are simple and advanced search options, and, in addition to conducting searches for specific topics and articles, users can browse content by subject. The arXiv e-Print Archive clearly states that they do not peer review the e-prints in the database.
Collection : 1,983,891
Good Source of Peer-Reviewed Articles : No
Advanced Search Options : Subject, date, title, author, abstract, DOI
6. Social Science Research Network
The Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is a collection of papers from the social sciences community. It is a highly interdisciplinary platform used to search for scholarly articles related to 67 social science topics. SSRN has a variety of research networks for the various topics available through the free scholarly database.
The site offers more than 700,000 abstracts and more than 600,000 full-text papers. There is not yet a specific option to search for only full-text articles, but, because most of the papers on the site are free access, it's not often that you encounter a paywall. There is currently no option to search for only peer-reviewed articles.
You must become a member to use the services, but registration is free and enables you to interact with other scholars around the world. SSRN is "passionately committed to increasing inclusion, diversity and equity in scholarly research," and they encourage and discuss the use of inclusive language in scholarship whenever possible.
Collection : 1,058,739 abstracts; 915,452 articles
Advanced Search Options : Term, author, date, network
7. Public Library of Science
Public Library of Science (PLOS) is a big player in the world of OA science. Publishing 12 OA journals, the nonprofit organization is committed to facilitating openness in academic research. According to the site, "all PLOS content is at the highest possible level of OA, meaning that scientific articles are immediately and freely available to anyone, anywhere."
PLOS outlines four fundamental goals that guide the organization: break boundaries, empower researchers, redefine quality, and open science. All PLOS journals are peer-reviewed, and all 12 journals uphold rigorous ethical standards for research, publication, and scientific reporting.
PLOS does not offer advanced search options. Content is organized by topic into research communities that users can browse through, in addition to options to search for both articles and journals. The PLOS website also has resources for peer reviewers, including guidance on becoming a reviewer and on how to best participate in the peer review process.
Collection : 12 journals
Advanced Search Options : None
8. OpenDOAR
OpenDOAR, or the Directory of Open Access Repositories, is a comprehensive resource for finding free OA journals and articles. Using Google Custom Search, OpenDOAR combs through OA repositories around the world and returns relevant research in all disciplines.
The repositories it searches through are assessed and categorized by OpenDOAR staff to ensure they meet quality standards. Inclusion criteria for the database include requirements for OA content, global access, and categorically appropriate content, in addition to various other quality assurance measures. OpenDOAR has metadata, data, content, preservation, and submission policies for repositories, in addition to two OA policy statements regarding minimum and optimum recommendations.
This database allows users to browse and search repositories, which can then be selected, and articles and data can be accessed from the repository directly. As a repository database, much of the content on the site is geared toward the support of repositories and OA standards.
Collection : 5,768 repositories
Other Services : OpenDOAR offers a variety of additional services. Given the nature of the platform, services are primarily aimed at repositories and institutions, and there is a marked focus on OA in general. Sherpa services are OA archiving tools for authors and institutions.
They also offer various resources for OA support and compliance regarding standards and policies. The publication router matches publications and publishers with appropriate repositories.
There are also services and resources from JISC for repositories for cost management, discoverability, research impact, and interoperability, including ORCID consortium membership information. Additionally, a repository self-assessment tool is available for members.
Advanced Search Options : Name, organization name, repository type, software name, content type, subject, country, region
9. Bielefeld Academic Search Engine
The Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE) is operated by the Bielefeld University Library in Germany, and it offers more than 240 million documents from more than 8,000 sources. Sixty percent of its content is OA, and you can filter your search accordingly.
BASE has rigorous inclusion requirements for content providers regarding quality and relevance, and they maintain a list of content providers for the sake of transparency, which can be easily found on their website. BASE has a fairly elegant interface. Search results can be organized by author, title, or date.
From the search results, items can be selected and exported, added to favorites, emailed, and searched in Google Scholar. There are basic and advanced search features, with the advanced search offering numerous options for refining search criteria. There is also a feature on the website that saves recent searches without additional steps from the user.
Collection : 276,019,066 documents; 9,286 content providers
Advanced Search Options : Author, subject, year, content provider, language, document type, access, terms of reuse
![Research Databases Research Databases](https://www.scribendi.com/images/cms/Blog_2022/Research_Databases.png)
10. Digital Library of the Commons Repository
Run by Indiana University, the Digital Library of the Commons (DLC) Repository is a multidisciplinary journal repository that allows users to access thousands of free and OA articles from around the world. You can browse by document type, date, author, title, and more or search for keywords relevant to your topic.
DCL also offers the Comprehensive Bibliography of the Commons, an image database, and a keyword thesaurus for enhanced search parameters. The repository includes books, book chapters, conference papers, journal articles, surveys, theses and dissertations, and working papers. DCL advanced search features drop-down menus of search types with built-in Boolean search options.
Searches can be sorted by relevance, title, date, or submission date in ascending or descending order. Abstracts are included in selected search results, with access to full texts available, and citations can be exported from the same page. Additionally, the image database search includes tips for better search results.
Collection : 10,784
Advanced Search Options : Author, date, title, subject, sector, region, conference
11. CIA World Factbook
The CIA World Factbook is a little different from the other resources on this list in that it is not an online journal directory or repository. It is, however, a useful free online research database for academics in a variety of disciplines.
All the information is free to access, and it provides facts about every country in the world, which are organized by category and include information about history, geography, transportation, and much more. The World Factbook can be searched by country or region, and there is also information about the world's oceans.
This site contains resources related to the CIA as an organization rather than being a scientific journal database specifically. The site has a user interface that is easy to navigate. The site also provides a section for updates regarding changes to what information is available and how it is organized, making it easier to interact with the information you are searching for.
Collection : 266 countries
12. Paperity
Paperity boasts its status as the "first multidisciplinary aggregator of OA journals and papers." Their focus is on helping you avoid paywalls while connecting you to authoritative research. In addition to providing readers with easy access to thousands of journals, Paperity seeks to help authors reach their audiences and help journals increase their exposure to boost readership.
Paperity has journal articles for every discipline, and the database offers more than a dozen advanced search options, including the length of the paper and the number of authors. There is even an option to include, exclude, or exclusively search gray papers.
Paperity is available for mobile, with both a mobile site and the Paperity Reader, an app that is available for both Android and Apple users. The database is also available on social media. You can interact with Paperity via Twitter and Facebook, and links to their social media are available on their homepage, including their Twitter feed.
Collection : 8,837,396
Advanced Search Options : Title, abstract, journal title, journal ISSN, publisher, year of publication, number of characters, number of authors, DOI, author, affiliation, language, country, region, continent, gray papers
13. dblp Computer Science Bibliography
The dblp Computer Science Bibliography is an online index of major computer science publications. dblp was founded in 1993, though until 2010 it was a university-specific database at the University of Trier in Germany. It is currently maintained by the Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz Center for Informatics.
Although it provides access to both OA articles and those behind a paywall, you can limit your search to only OA articles. The site indexes more than three million publications, making it an invaluable resource in the world of computer science. dblp entries are color-coded based on the type of item.
dblp has an extensive FAQ section, so questions that might arise about topics like the database itself, navigating the website, or the data on dblp, in addition to several other topics, are likely to be answered. The website also hosts a blog and has a section devoted to website statistics.
Collection : 5,884,702
14. EconBiz
EconBiz is a great resource for economic and business studies. A service of the Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, it offers access to full texts online, with the option of searching for OA material only. Their literature search is performed across multiple international databases.
EconBiz has an incredibly useful research skills section, with resources such as Guided Walk, a service to help students and researchers navigate searches, evaluate sources, and correctly cite references; the Research Guide EconDesk, a help desk to answer specific questions and provide advice to aid in literature searches; and the Academic Career Kit for what they refer to as Early Career Researchers.
Other helpful resources include personal literature lists, a calendar of events for relevant calls for papers, conferences, and workshops, and an economics terminology thesaurus to help in finding keywords for searches. To stay up-to-date with EconBiz, you can sign up for their newsletter.
Collection : 1,075,219
Advanced Search Options : Title, subject, author, institution, ISBN/ISSN, journal, publisher, language, OA only
15. BioMed Central
BioMed Central provides OA research from more than 300 peer-reviewed journals. While originally focused on resources related to the physical sciences, math, and engineering, BioMed Central has branched out to include journals that cover a broader range of disciplines, with the aim of providing a single platform that provides OA articles for a variety of research needs. You can browse these journals by subject or title, or you can search all articles for your required keyword.
BioMed Central has a commitment to peer-reviewed sources and to the peer review process itself, continually seeking to help and improve the peer review process. They're "committed to maintaining high standards through full and stringent peer review."
Additionally, the website includes resources to assist and support editors as part of their commitment to providing high-quality, peer-reviewed OA articles.
Collection : 507,212
Other Services : BMC administers the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) registry. While initially designed for registering clinical trials, since its creation in 2000, the registry has broadened its scope to include other health studies as well.
The registry is recognized by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), and it meets the requirements established by the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform.
The study records included in the registry are all searchable and free to access. The ISRCTN registry "supports transparency in clinical research, helps reduce selective reporting of results and ensures an unbiased and complete evidence base."
Advanced Search Options : Author, title, journal, list
A multidisciplinary search engine, JURN provides links to various scholarly websites, articles, and journals that are free to access or OA. Covering the fields of the arts, humanities, business, law, nature, science, and medicine, JURN has indexed almost 5,000 repositories to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
Search features are enhanced by Google, but searches are filtered through their index of repositories. JURN seeks to reach a wide audience, with their search engine tailored to researchers from "university lecturers and students seeking a strong search tool for OA content" and "advanced and ambitious students, age 14-18" to "amateur historians and biographers" and "unemployed and retired lecturers."
That being said, JURN is very upfront about its limitations. They admit to not being a good resource for educational studies, social studies, or psychology, and conference archives are generally not included due to frequently unstable URLs.
Collection : 5,064 indexed journals
Other Services : JURN has a browser add-on called UserScript. This add-on allows users to integrate the JURN database directly into Google Search. When performing a search through Google, the add-on creates a link that sends the search directly to JURN CSE. JURN CSE is a search service that is hosted by Google.
Clicking the link from the Google Search bar will run your search through the JURN database from the Google homepage. There is also an interface for a DuckDuckGo search box; while this search engine has an emphasis on user privacy, for smaller sites that may be indexed by JURN, DuckDuckGo may not provide the same depth of results.
Advanced Search Options : Google search modifiers
Dryad is a digital repository of curated, OA scientific research data. Launched in 2009, it is run by a not-for-profit membership organization, with a community of institutional and publisher members for whom their services have been designed. Members include institutions such as Stanford, UCLA, and Yale, as well as publishers like Oxford University Press and Wiley.
Dryad aims to "promote a world where research data is openly available, integrated with the scholarly literature, and routinely reused to create knowledge." It is free to access for the search and discovery of data. Their user experience is geared toward easy self-depositing, supports Creative Commons licensing, and provides DOIs for all their content.
Note that there is a publishing charge associated if you wish to publish your data in Dryad. When searching datasets, they are accompanied by author information and abstracts for the associated studies, and citation information is provided for easy attribution.
Collection : 44,458
Advanced Search Options : No
Run by the British Library, the E-Theses Online Service (EThOS) allows you to search over 500,000 doctoral theses in a variety of disciplines. All of the doctoral theses available on EThOS have been awarded by higher education institutions in the United Kingdom.
Although some full texts are behind paywalls, you can limit your search to items available for immediate download, either directly through EThOS or through an institution's website. More than half of the records in the database provide access to full-text theses.
EThOS notes that they do not hold all records for all institutions, but they strive to index as many doctoral theses as possible, and the database is constantly expanding, with approximately 3,000 new records added and 2,000 new full-text theses available every month. The availability of full-text theses is dependent on multiple factors, including their availability in the institutional repository and the level of repository development.
Collection : 500,000+
Advanced Search Options : Abstract, author's first name, author's last name, awarding body, current institution, EThOS ID, year, language, qualifications, research supervisor, sponsor/funder, keyword, title
PubMed is a research platform well-known in the fields of science and medicine. It was created and developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). It has been available since 1996 and offers access to "more than 33 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books."
While PubMed does not provide full-text articles directly, and many full-text articles may be behind paywalls or require subscriptions to access them, when articles are available from free sources, such as through PubMed Central (PMC), those links are provided with the citations and abstracts that PubMed does provide.
PMC, which was established in 2000 by the NLM, is a free full-text archive that includes more than 6,000,000 records. PubMed records link directly to corresponding PMC results. PMC content is provided by publishers and other content owners, digitization projects, and authors directly.
Collection : 33,000,000+
Advanced Search Options : Author's first name, author's last name, identifier, corporation, date completed, date created, date entered, date modified, date published, MeSH, book, conflict of interest statement, EC/RN number, editor, filter, grant number, page number, pharmacological action, volume, publication type, publisher, secondary source ID, text, title, abstract, transliterated title
20. Semantic Scholar
A unique and easy-to-use resource, Semantic Scholar defines itself not just as a research database but also as a "search and discovery tool." Semantic Scholar harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to efficiently sort through millions of science-related papers based on your search terms.
Through this singular application of machine learning, Semantic Scholar expands search results to include topic overviews based on your search terms, with the option to create an alert for or further explore the topic. It also provides links to related topics.
In addition, search results produce "TLDR" summaries in order to provide concise overviews of articles and enhance your research by helping you to navigate quickly and easily through the available literature to find the most relevant information. According to the site, although some articles are behind paywalls, "the data [they] have for those articles is limited," so you can expect to receive mostly full-text results.
Collection : 203,379,033
Other Services : Semantic Scholar supports multiple popular browsers. Content can be accessed through both mobile and desktop versions of Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Opera.
Additionally, Semantic Scholar provides browser extensions for both Chrome and Firefox, so AI-powered scholarly search results are never more than a click away. The mobile interface includes an option for Semantic Swipe, a new way of interacting with your research results.
There are also beta features that can be accessed as part of the Beta Program, which will provide you with features that are being actively developed and require user feedback for further improvement.
Advanced Search Options : Field of study, date range, publication type, author, journal, conference, PDF
Zenodo, powered by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), was launched in 2013. Taking its name from Zenodotus, the first librarian of the ancient library of Alexandria, Zenodo is a tool "built and developed by researchers, to ensure that everyone can join in open science." Zenodo accepts all research from every discipline in any file format.
However, Zenodo also curates uploads and promotes peer-reviewed material that is available through OA. A DOI is assigned to everything that is uploaded to Zenodo, making research easily findable and citable. You can sort by keyword, title, journal, and more and download OA documents directly from the site.
While there are closed access and restricted access items in the database, the vast majority of research is OA material. Search results can be filtered by access type, making it easy to view the free articles available in the database.
Collection : 2,220,000+
Advanced Search Options : Access, file type, keywords
Check out our roundup of free research databases as a handy one-page PDF.
How to find peer-reviewed articles.
There are a lot of free scholarly articles available from various sources. The internet is a big place. So how do you go about finding peer-reviewed articles when conducting your research? It's important to make sure you are using reputable sources.
The first source of the article is the person or people who wrote it. Checking out the author can give you some initial insight into how much you can trust what you’re reading. Looking into the publication information of your sources can also indicate whether the article is reliable.
Aspects of the article, such as subject and audience, tone, and format, are other things you can look at when evaluating whether the article you're using is valid, reputable, peer-reviewed material. So, let's break that down into various components so you can assess your research to ensure that you're using quality articles and conducting solid research.
Check the Author
Peer-reviewed articles are written by experts or scholars with experience in the field or discipline they're writing about. The research in a peer-reviewed article has to pass a rigorous evaluation process, so it's a foregone conclusion that the author(s) of a peer-reviewed article should have experience or training related to that research.
When evaluating an article, take a look at the author's information. What credentials does the author have to indicate that their research has scholarly weight behind it? Finding out what type of degree the author has—and what that degree is in—can provide insight into what kind of authority the author is on the subject.
Something else that might lend credence to the author's scholarly role is their professional affiliation. A look at what organization or institution they are affiliated with can tell you a lot about their experience or expertise. Where were they trained, and who is verifying their research?
Identify Subject and Audience
The ultimate goal of a study is to answer a question. Scholarly articles are also written for scholarly audiences, especially articles that have gone through the peer review process. This means that the author is trying to reach experts, researchers, academics, and students in the field or topic the research is based on.
Think about the question the author is trying to answer by conducting this research, why, and for whom. What is the subject of the article? What question has it set out to answer? What is the purpose of finding the information? Is the purpose of the article of importance to other scholars? Is it original content?
Research should also be approached analytically. Is the methodology sound? Is the author using an analytical approach to evaluate the data that they have obtained? Are the conclusions they've reached substantiated by their data and analysis? Answering these questions can reveal a lot about the article's validity.
Format Matters
Reliable articles from peer-reviewed sources have certain format elements to be aware of. The first is an abstract. An abstract is a short summary or overview of the article. Does the article have an abstract? It's unlikely that you're reading a peer-reviewed article if it doesn't. Peer-reviewed journals will also have a word count range. If an article seems far too short or incredibly long, that may be reason to doubt it.
Another feature of reliable articles is the sections the information is divided into. Peer-reviewed research articles will have clear, concise sections that appropriately organize the information. This might include a literature review, methodology, results (in the case of research articles), and a conclusion.
One of the most important sections is the references or bibliography. This is where the researcher lists all the sources of their information. A peer-reviewed source will have a comprehensive reference section.
An article that has been written to reach an academic community will have an academic tone. The language that is used, and the way this language is used, is important to consider. If the article is riddled with grammatical errors, confusing syntax, and casual language, it almost definitely didn't make it through the peer review process.
Also consider the use of terminology. Every discipline is going to have standard terminology or jargon that can be used and understood by other academics in the discipline. The language in a peer-reviewed article is going to reflect that.
If the author is going out of their way to explain simple terms, or terms that are standard to the field or discipline, it's unlikely that the article has been peer reviewed, as this is something that the author would be asked to address during the review process.
Publication
The source of the article will be a very good indicator of the likelihood that it was peer reviewed. Where was the article published? Was it published alongside other academic articles in the same discipline? Is it a legitimate and reputable scholarly publication?
A trade publication or newspaper might be legitimate or reputable, but it is not a scholarly source, and it will not have been subject to the peer review process. Scholarly journals are the best resource for peer-reviewed articles, but it's important to remember that not all scholarly journals are peer reviewed.
It's helpful to look at a scholarly source's website, as peer-reviewed journals will have a clear indication of the peer review process. University libraries, institutional repositories, and reliable databases (and now you have a list of legit ones) can also help provide insight into whether an article comes from a peer-reviewed journal.
![Free Online Journal Free Online Journal](https://www.scribendi.com/images/cms/Blog_2022/Free_Online_Journal.png)
Common Research Mistakes to Avoid
Research is a lot of work. Even with high standards and good intentions, it's easy to make mistakes. Perhaps you searched for access to scientific journals for free and found the perfect peer-reviewed sources, but you forgot to document everything, and your references are a mess. Or, you only searched for free online articles and missed out on a ground-breaking study that was behind a paywall.
Whether your research is for a degree or to get published or to satisfy your own inquisitive nature, or all of the above, you want all that work to produce quality results. You want your research to be thorough and accurate.
To have any hope of contributing to the literature on your research topic, your results need to be high quality. You might not be able to avoid every potential mistake, but here are some that are both common and easy to avoid.
Sticking to One Source
One of the hallmarks of good research is a healthy reference section. Using a variety of sources gives you a better answer to your question. Even if all of the literature is in agreement, looking at various aspects of the topic may provide you with an entirely different picture than you would have if you looked at your research question from only one angle.
Not Documenting Every Fact
As you conduct your research, do yourself a favor and write everything down. Everything you include in your paper or article that you got from another source is going to need to be added to your references and cited.
It's important, especially if your aim is to conduct ethical, high-quality research, that all of your research has proper attribution. If you don't document as you go, you could end up making a lot of work for yourself if the information you don't write down is something that later, as you write your paper, you really need.
Using Outdated Materials
Academia is an ever-changing landscape. What was true in your academic discipline or area of research ten years ago may have since been disproven. If fifteen studies have come out since the article that you're using was published, it's more than a little likely that you're going to be basing your research on flawed or dated information.
If the information you're basing your research on isn't as up-to-date as possible, your research won't be of quality or able to stand up to any amount of scrutiny. You don't want all of your hard work to be for naught.
Relying Solely on Open Access Journals
OA is a great resource for conducting academic research. There are high-quality journal articles available through OA, and that can be very helpful for your research. But, just because you have access to free articles, that doesn't mean that there's nothing to be found behind a paywall.
Just as dismissing high-quality peer-reviewed articles because they are OA would be limiting, not exploring any paid content at all is equally short-sighted. If you're seeking to conduct thorough and comprehensive research, exploring all of your options for quality sources is going to be to your benefit.
Digging Too Deep or Not Deep Enough
Research is an art form, and it involves a delicate balance of information. If you conduct your research using only broad search terms, you won't be able to answer your research question well, or you'll find that your research provides information that is closely related to your topic but, ultimately, your findings are vague and unsubstantiated.
On the other hand, if you delve deeply into your research topic with specific searches and turn up too many sources, you might have a lot of information that is adjacent to your topic but without focus and perhaps not entirely relevant. It's important to answer your research question concisely but thoroughly.
Different Types of Scholarly Articles
Different types of scholarly articles have different purposes. An original research article, also called an empirical article, is the product of a study or an experiment. This type of article seeks to answer a question or fill a gap in the existing literature.
Research articles will have a methodology, results, and a discussion of the findings of the experiment or research and typically a conclusion.
Review articles overview the current literature and research and provide a summary of what the existing research indicates or has concluded. This type of study will have a section for the literature review, as well as a discussion of the findings of that review. Review articles will have a particularly extensive reference or bibliography section.
Theoretical articles draw on existing literature to create new theories or conclusions, or look at current theories from a different perspective, to contribute to the foundational knowledge of the field of study.
10 Tips for Navigating Journal Databases
Use the right academic journal database for your search, be that interdisciplinary or specific to your field. Or both!
If it's an option, set the search results to return only peer-reviewed sources.
Start by using search terms that are relevant to your topic without being overly specific.
Try synonyms, especially if your keywords aren't returning the desired results.
![Scholarly Journal Articles Scholarly Journal Articles](https://www.scribendi.com/images/cms/Blog_2022/Scholarly_Journal_Articles.png)
Even if you've found some good articles, try searching using different terms.
Explore the advanced search features of the database(s).
Learn to use Booleans (AND, OR, NOT) to expand or narrow your results.
Once you've gotten some good results from a more general search, try narrowing your search.
Read through abstracts when trying to find articles relevant to your research.
Keep track of your research and use citation tools. It'll make life easier when it comes time to compile your references.
7 Frequently Asked Questions
1. how do i get articles for free.
Free articles can be found through free online academic journals, OA databases, or other databases that include OA journals and articles. These resources allow you to access free papers online so you can conduct your research without getting stuck behind a paywall.
Academics don't receive payment for the articles they contribute to journals. There are often, in fact, publication fees that scholars pay in order to publish. This is one of the funding structures that allows OA journals to provide free content so that you don't have to pay fees or subscription costs to access journal articles.
2. How Do I Find Journal Articles?
Journal articles can be found in databases and institutional repositories that can be accessed at university libraries. However, online research databases that contain OA articles are the best resource for getting free access to journal articles that are available online.
Peer-reviewed journal articles are the best to use for academic research, and there are a number of databases where you can find peer-reviewed OA journal articles. Once you've found a useful article, you can look through the references for the articles the author used to conduct their research, and you can then search online databases for those articles, too.
3. How Do I Find Peer-Reviewed Articles?
Peer-reviewed articles can be found in reputable scholarly peer-reviewed journals. High-quality journals and journal articles can be found online using academic search engines and free research databases. These resources are excellent for finding OA articles, including peer-reviewed articles.
OA articles are articles that can be accessed for free. While some scholarly search engines and databases include articles that aren't peer reviewed, there are also some that provide only peer-reviewed articles, and databases that include non-peer-reviewed articles often have advanced search features that enable you to select "peer review only." The database will return results that are exclusively peer-reviewed content.
4. What Are Research Databases?
A research database is a list of journals, articles, datasets, and/or abstracts that allows you to easily search for scholarly and academic resources and conduct research online. There are databases that are interdisciplinary and cover a variety of topics.
For example, Paperity might be a great resource for a chemist as well as a linguist, and there are databases that are more specific to a certain field. So, while ERIC might be one of the best educational databases available for OA content, it's not going to be one of the best databases for finding research in the field of microbiology.
5. How Do I Find Scholarly Articles for Specific Fields?
There are interdisciplinary research databases that provide articles in a variety of fields, as well as research databases that provide articles that cater to specific disciplines. Additionally, a journal repository or index can be a helpful resource for finding articles in a specific field.
When searching an interdisciplinary database, there are frequently advanced search features that allow you to narrow the search results down so that they are specific to your field. Selecting "psychology" in the advanced search features will return psychology journal articles in your search results. You can also try databases that are specific to your field.
If you're searching for law journal articles, many law reviews are OA. If you don't know of any databases specific to history, visiting a journal repository or index and searching "history academic journals" can return a list of journals specific to history and provide you with a place to begin your research.
6. Are Peer-Reviewed Articles Really More Legitimate?
The short answer is yes, peer-reviewed articles are more legitimate resources for academic research. The peer review process provides legitimacy, as it is a rigorous review of the content of an article that is performed by scholars and academics who are experts in their field of study. The review provides an evaluation of the quality and credibility of the article.
Non-peer-reviewed articles are not subject to a review process and do not undergo the same level of scrutiny. This means that non-peer-reviewed articles are unlikely, or at least not as likely, to meet the same standards that peer-reviewed articles do.
7. Are Free Article Directories Legitimate?
Yes! As with anything, some databases are going to be better for certain requirements than others. But, a scholarly article database being free is not a reason in itself to question its legitimacy.
Free scholarly article databases can provide access to abstracts, scholarly article websites, journal repositories, and high-quality peer-reviewed journal articles. The internet has a lot of information, and it's often challenging to figure out what information is reliable.
Research databases and article directories are great resources to help you conduct your research. Our list of the best research paper websites is sure to provide you with sources that are totally legit.
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Reference management. Clean and simple.
The top list of academic search engines
![where to find research articles for free academic search engines](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/academic-search-engines-illust-400x400.png)
1. Google Scholar
4. science.gov, 5. semantic scholar, 6. baidu scholar, get the most out of academic search engines, frequently asked questions about academic search engines, related articles.
Academic search engines have become the number one resource to turn to in order to find research papers and other scholarly sources. While classic academic databases like Web of Science and Scopus are locked behind paywalls, Google Scholar and others can be accessed free of charge. In order to help you get your research done fast, we have compiled the top list of free academic search engines.
Google Scholar is the clear number one when it comes to academic search engines. It's the power of Google searches applied to research papers and patents. It not only lets you find research papers for all academic disciplines for free but also often provides links to full-text PDF files.
- Coverage: approx. 200 million articles
- Abstracts: only a snippet of the abstract is available
- Related articles: ✔
- References: ✔
- Cited by: ✔
- Links to full text: ✔
- Export formats: APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, RIS, BibTeX
![where to find research articles for free Search interface of Google Scholar](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/google-scholar-academic-search-engine-700x351.png)
BASE is hosted at Bielefeld University in Germany. That is also where its name stems from (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine).
- Coverage: approx. 136 million articles (contains duplicates)
- Abstracts: ✔
- Related articles: ✘
- References: ✘
- Cited by: ✘
- Export formats: RIS, BibTeX
![where to find research articles for free Search interface of Bielefeld Academic Search Engine aka BASE](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/academic-search-engine-BASE-700x428.png)
CORE is an academic search engine dedicated to open-access research papers. For each search result, a link to the full-text PDF or full-text web page is provided.
- Coverage: approx. 136 million articles
- Links to full text: ✔ (all articles in CORE are open access)
- Export formats: BibTeX
![where to find research articles for free Search interface of the CORE academic search engine](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/academic-search-engine-CORE-700x305.png)
Science.gov is a fantastic resource as it bundles and offers free access to search results from more than 15 U.S. federal agencies. There is no need anymore to query all those resources separately!
- Coverage: approx. 200 million articles and reports
- Links to full text: ✔ (available for some databases)
- Export formats: APA, MLA, RIS, BibTeX (available for some databases)
![where to find research articles for free Search interface of Science.gov](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/academic-search-engine-science-gov-700x395.png)
Semantic Scholar is the new kid on the block. Its mission is to provide more relevant and impactful search results using AI-powered algorithms that find hidden connections and links between research topics.
- Coverage: approx. 40 million articles
- Export formats: APA, MLA, Chicago, BibTeX
![where to find research articles for free Search interface of Semantic Scholar](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/academic-search-engine-semantic-scholar-700x307.png)
Although Baidu Scholar's interface is in Chinese, its index contains research papers in English as well as Chinese.
- Coverage: no detailed statistics available, approx. 100 million articles
- Abstracts: only snippets of the abstract are available
- Export formats: APA, MLA, RIS, BibTeX
![where to find research articles for free Search interface of Baidu Scholar](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/baidu-scholar-academic-search-engine-700x188.png)
RefSeek searches more than one billion documents from academic and organizational websites. Its clean interface makes it especially easy to use for students and new researchers.
- Coverage: no detailed statistics available, approx. 1 billion documents
- Abstracts: only snippets of the article are available
- Export formats: not available
![where to find research articles for free Search interface of RefSeek](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/refseek-academic-search-engine-700x401.png)
Consider using a reference manager like Paperpile to save, organize, and cite your references. Paperpile integrates with Google Scholar and many popular databases, so you can save references and PDFs directly to your library using the Paperpile buttons:
![where to find research articles for free](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/Paperpile-button-in-Google-Scholar-700x296.png)
Google Scholar is an academic search engine, and it is the clear number one when it comes to academic search engines. It's the power of Google searches applied to research papers and patents. It not only let's you find research papers for all academic disciplines for free, but also often provides links to full text PDF file.
Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature developed at the Allen Institute for AI. Sematic Scholar was publicly released in 2015 and uses advances in natural language processing to provide summaries for scholarly papers.
BASE , as its name suggest is an academic search engine. It is hosted at Bielefeld University in Germany and that's where it name stems from (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine).
CORE is an academic search engine dedicated to open access research papers. For each search result a link to the full text PDF or full text web page is provided.
Science.gov is a fantastic resource as it bundles and offers free access to search results from more than 15 U.S. federal agencies. There is no need any more to query all those resources separately!
![where to find research articles for free](https://cdn.paperpile.com/guides/img/find-credible-illustr-400x400.png)
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![where to find research articles for free Digital Commons Network](https://assets.bepress.com/20200205/img/dcn/DCsunburst.png)
Digital Commons Network ™
![where to find research articles for free Static Sunburst](https://assets.bepress.com/20200205/img/dcn/sunburst_example.png)
The Digital Commons Network brings together free, full-text scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide. Curated by university librarians and their supporting institutions, the Network includes a growing collection of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, working papers, conference proceedings, and other original scholarly work.
“The only truly modern academic research engine”
Oa.mg is a search engine for academic papers, specialising in open access. we have over 250 million papers in our index..
Get Scholarly Articles for Free
Harvard Library has paid for your access to hundreds of websites — from the New York Review of Books to the Oxford English Dictionary to the journal Nature: Chemical Biology . You just need to connect via HarvardKey.
The library offers many tools to quickly check if you have free online access. Each tool has features that you may find helpful at different times. Most people mix and match for different purposes. Find the one that's right for you.
Google Scholar
Get access directly from Google Scholar results.
- Adds the "Try Harvard Library" link to your Google Scholar results
- Selects the best access point for you
Browser Extensions
Adding a browser extension is a way to get articles Harvard Library pays for - no matter what website you're using.
Lean Library
Install the Lean Library plugin to automate access.
- Checks every website that you visit and reloads via Harvard Key automatically
- Notifies you if an ebook or online article is available via Harvard
- No action required: Lean Library is always working in the background
- May sign you out of personally subscribed accounts
Check Harvard Library Bookmarklet
Get one-click access with the Check Harvard Library Bookmark.
- Works on most browsers, including on your phone
- Reloads the page you're on via Harvard Key
- You're in control: use the bookmark when you want to check for access
Check Harvard Library Bookmark
Stay current with your favorite academic journals, preview the table of contents, and never miss a new article. Harvard Library offers free accounts.
Library Access via VPN
Harvard vpn.
Don't want to keep logging in using HarvardKey? Searching for articles while abroad? You can get the same access as a campus computer by installing and configuring a Harvard VPN.
- Generally removes the need to log in to Harvard Key
- Some sites won't recognize VPN, some sites only work on VPN
- Can be helpful for access outside of the United States
Instructions on how to install the VPN client (via HUIT)
Ask a Librarian
Looking for another type of access or free articles? Find answers to commonly asked questions and ask your own. Library staff members are also available via chat during posted hours.
![where to find research articles for free Banner](https://d2jv02qf7xgjwx.cloudfront.net/sites/529/banner/banner.jpg)
Finding Open Access - Free Journals: Free Journal Article Databases
Free journal article databases.
- Citations and Bibliographies
Finding open access (free) journals
This LibGuide provides a list with active links to assist in finding open access (free) journals.
Options for finding reliable full text journal articles.
Other good sources for journals, newspapers, and more available for free on the Internet:
Google Scholar - A search engine for scholarly publications from peer-reviewed journals, professional societies, books, theses, and other sources.
Highwire Press - Offers free articles in biological, physical and social sciences and medicine. The site includes a search engine. Highwire has also put together a list of links to other large archives of scientific resources (highwire.stanford.edu/lists/largest.dtl)
Public Library of Science - A nonprofit scientific/medical organization making articles available for free.
BioMed Central - Publishes a number of journals that are available as open access, including Environmental Health and Journal of Biology. Others are available free to registered users.
OAIster - Indexes over three million digitized resources worldwide and can be limited to text, images, audio, or video files.
The Directory of Open Access Journals - Includes articles from more that 700 titles from around the world. Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics, Fishery Bulletin, Journal of Construction Education, and Biopolicy are just a few of the titles included.
Scitopia - A federated (“one-stop-shopping”) search portal for publications of a number of professional societies in the areas of science and technology. Over three million documents, including patents and government publications, can be found here.
Scientific Journals International - A Publisher of open-access journals in science, technology, health, education, and social sciences. Links to online issues are included.
Encyclopedia of Life - A collaborative initiative to collect information on every species on earth. Contributing organizations include Smithsonian Institution, Royal Botanic Garden, and American Museum of Natural History.
Internet Public Library - “Information you can trust” with subject indexes, newspapers, magazines, special collections, and more.
WorldCat - Sometimes called the catalog of catalogs, WorldCat lets you search through library holdings from thousands of libraries around the world. Search for everything from books, articles, CDs, DVDs, audio files, and more. This is a great resource for locating material that can be obtained through Interlibrary Loan if it is not available on the Internet.
WolframAlpha - A Wolfram Research resource, this "computational knowledge engine" can answer a wide variety of questions and provide information on various topics. Subjects covered include mathematics, statistics and data analysis, chemistry, engineering, and earth sciences among many more.
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- Last Updated: Jul 19, 2021 10:20 AM
- URL: https://libguides.esf.edu/freejournals
- Corrections
Search Help
Get the most out of Google Scholar with some helpful tips on searches, email alerts, citation export, and more.
Finding recent papers
Your search results are normally sorted by relevance, not by date. To find newer articles, try the following options in the left sidebar:
- click "Since Year" to show only recently published papers, sorted by relevance;
- click "Sort by date" to show just the new additions, sorted by date;
- click the envelope icon to have new results periodically delivered by email.
Locating the full text of an article
Abstracts are freely available for most of the articles. Alas, reading the entire article may require a subscription. Here're a few things to try:
- click a library link, e.g., "FindIt@Harvard", to the right of the search result;
- click a link labeled [PDF] to the right of the search result;
- click "All versions" under the search result and check out the alternative sources;
- click "Related articles" or "Cited by" under the search result to explore similar articles.
If you're affiliated with a university, but don't see links such as "FindIt@Harvard", please check with your local library about the best way to access their online subscriptions. You may need to do search from a computer on campus, or to configure your browser to use a library proxy.
Getting better answers
If you're new to the subject, it may be helpful to pick up the terminology from secondary sources. E.g., a Wikipedia article for "overweight" might suggest a Scholar search for "pediatric hyperalimentation".
If the search results are too specific for your needs, check out what they're citing in their "References" sections. Referenced works are often more general in nature.
Similarly, if the search results are too basic for you, click "Cited by" to see newer papers that referenced them. These newer papers will often be more specific.
Explore! There's rarely a single answer to a research question. Click "Related articles" or "Cited by" to see closely related work, or search for author's name and see what else they have written.
Searching Google Scholar
Use the "author:" operator, e.g., author:"d knuth" or author:"donald e knuth".
Put the paper's title in quotations: "A History of the China Sea".
You'll often get better results if you search only recent articles, but still sort them by relevance, not by date. E.g., click "Since 2018" in the left sidebar of the search results page.
To see the absolutely newest articles first, click "Sort by date" in the sidebar. If you use this feature a lot, you may also find it useful to setup email alerts to have new results automatically sent to you.
Note: On smaller screens that don't show the sidebar, these options are available in the dropdown menu labelled "Year" right below the search button.
Select the "Case law" option on the homepage or in the side drawer on the search results page.
It finds documents similar to the given search result.
It's in the side drawer. The advanced search window lets you search in the author, title, and publication fields, as well as limit your search results by date.
Select the "Case law" option and do a keyword search over all jurisdictions. Then, click the "Select courts" link in the left sidebar on the search results page.
Tip: To quickly search a frequently used selection of courts, bookmark a search results page with the desired selection.
Access to articles
For each Scholar search result, we try to find a version of the article that you can read. These access links are labelled [PDF] or [HTML] and appear to the right of the search result. For example:
A paper that you need to read
Access links cover a wide variety of ways in which articles may be available to you - articles that your library subscribes to, open access articles, free-to-read articles from publishers, preprints, articles in repositories, etc.
When you are on a campus network, access links automatically include your library subscriptions and direct you to subscribed versions of articles. On-campus access links cover subscriptions from primary publishers as well as aggregators.
Off-campus access
Off-campus access links let you take your library subscriptions with you when you are at home or traveling. You can read subscribed articles when you are off-campus just as easily as when you are on-campus. Off-campus access links work by recording your subscriptions when you visit Scholar while on-campus, and looking up the recorded subscriptions later when you are off-campus.
We use the recorded subscriptions to provide you with the same subscribed access links as you see on campus. We also indicate your subscription access to participating publishers so that they can allow you to read the full-text of these articles without logging in or using a proxy. The recorded subscription information expires after 30 days and is automatically deleted.
In addition to Google Scholar search results, off-campus access links can also appear on articles from publishers participating in the off-campus subscription access program. Look for links labeled [PDF] or [HTML] on the right hand side of article pages.
Anne Author , John Doe , Jane Smith , Someone Else
In this fascinating paper, we investigate various topics that would be of interest to you. We also describe new methods relevant to your project, and attempt to address several questions which you would also like to know the answer to. Lastly, we analyze …
You can disable off-campus access links on the Scholar settings page . Disabling off-campus access links will turn off recording of your library subscriptions. It will also turn off indicating subscription access to participating publishers. Once off-campus access links are disabled, you may need to identify and configure an alternate mechanism (e.g., an institutional proxy or VPN) to access your library subscriptions while off-campus.
Email Alerts
Do a search for the topic of interest, e.g., "M Theory"; click the envelope icon in the sidebar of the search results page; enter your email address, and click "Create alert". We'll then periodically email you newly published papers that match your search criteria.
No, you can enter any email address of your choice. If the email address isn't a Google account or doesn't match your Google account, then we'll email you a verification link, which you'll need to click to start receiving alerts.
This works best if you create a public profile , which is free and quick to do. Once you get to the homepage with your photo, click "Follow" next to your name, select "New citations to my articles", and click "Done". We will then email you when we find new articles that cite yours.
Search for the title of your paper, e.g., "Anti de Sitter space and holography"; click on the "Cited by" link at the bottom of the search result; and then click on the envelope icon in the left sidebar of the search results page.
First, do a search for your colleague's name, and see if they have a Scholar profile. If they do, click on it, click the "Follow" button next to their name, select "New articles by this author", and click "Done".
If they don't have a profile, do a search by author, e.g., [author:s-hawking], and click on the mighty envelope in the left sidebar of the search results page. If you find that several different people share the same name, you may need to add co-author names or topical keywords to limit results to the author you wish to follow.
We send the alerts right after we add new papers to Google Scholar. This usually happens several times a week, except that our search robots meticulously observe holidays.
There's a link to cancel the alert at the bottom of every notification email.
If you created alerts using a Google account, you can manage them all here . If you're not using a Google account, you'll need to unsubscribe from the individual alerts and subscribe to the new ones.
Google Scholar library
Google Scholar library is your personal collection of articles. You can save articles right off the search page, organize them by adding labels, and use the power of Scholar search to quickly find just the one you want - at any time and from anywhere. You decide what goes into your library, and we’ll keep the links up to date.
You get all the goodies that come with Scholar search results - links to PDF and to your university's subscriptions, formatted citations, citing articles, and more!
Library help
Find the article you want to add in Google Scholar and click the “Save” button under the search result.
Click “My library” at the top of the page or in the side drawer to view all articles in your library. To search the full text of these articles, enter your query as usual in the search box.
Find the article you want to remove, and then click the “Delete” button under it.
- To add a label to an article, find the article in your library, click the “Label” button under it, select the label you want to apply, and click “Done”.
- To view all the articles with a specific label, click the label name in the left sidebar of your library page.
- To remove a label from an article, click the “Label” button under it, deselect the label you want to remove, and click “Done”.
- To add, edit, or delete labels, click “Manage labels” in the left column of your library page.
Only you can see the articles in your library. If you create a Scholar profile and make it public, then the articles in your public profile (and only those articles) will be visible to everyone.
Your profile contains all the articles you have written yourself. It’s a way to present your work to others, as well as to keep track of citations to it. Your library is a way to organize the articles that you’d like to read or cite, not necessarily the ones you’ve written.
Citation Export
Click the "Cite" button under the search result and then select your bibliography manager at the bottom of the popup. We currently support BibTeX, EndNote, RefMan, and RefWorks.
Err, no, please respect our robots.txt when you access Google Scholar using automated software. As the wearers of crawler's shoes and webmaster's hat, we cannot recommend adherence to web standards highly enough.
Sorry, we're unable to provide bulk access. You'll need to make an arrangement directly with the source of the data you're interested in. Keep in mind that a lot of the records in Google Scholar come from commercial subscription services.
Sorry, we can only show up to 1,000 results for any particular search query. Try a different query to get more results.
Content Coverage
Google Scholar includes journal and conference papers, theses and dissertations, academic books, pre-prints, abstracts, technical reports and other scholarly literature from all broad areas of research. You'll find works from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies and university repositories, as well as scholarly articles available anywhere across the web. Google Scholar also includes court opinions and patents.
We index research articles and abstracts from most major academic publishers and repositories worldwide, including both free and subscription sources. To check current coverage of a specific source in Google Scholar, search for a sample of their article titles in quotes.
While we try to be comprehensive, it isn't possible to guarantee uninterrupted coverage of any particular source. We index articles from sources all over the web and link to these websites in our search results. If one of these websites becomes unavailable to our search robots or to a large number of web users, we have to remove it from Google Scholar until it becomes available again.
Our meticulous search robots generally try to index every paper from every website they visit, including most major sources and also many lesser known ones.
That said, Google Scholar is primarily a search of academic papers. Shorter articles, such as book reviews, news sections, editorials, announcements and letters, may or may not be included. Untitled documents and documents without authors are usually not included. Website URLs that aren't available to our search robots or to the majority of web users are, obviously, not included either. Nor do we include websites that require you to sign up for an account, install a browser plugin, watch four colorful ads, and turn around three times and say coo-coo before you can read the listing of titles scanned at 10 DPI... You get the idea, we cover academic papers from sensible websites.
That's usually because we index many of these papers from other websites, such as the websites of their primary publishers. The "site:" operator currently only searches the primary version of each paper.
It could also be that the papers are located on examplejournals.gov, not on example.gov. Please make sure you're searching for the "right" website.
That said, the best way to check coverage of a specific source is to search for a sample of their papers using the title of the paper.
Ahem, we index papers, not journals. You should also ask about our coverage of universities, research groups, proteins, seminal breakthroughs, and other dimensions that are of interest to users. All such questions are best answered by searching for a statistical sample of papers that has the property of interest - journal, author, protein, etc. Many coverage comparisons are available if you search for [allintitle:"google scholar"], but some of them are more statistically valid than others.
Currently, Google Scholar allows you to search and read published opinions of US state appellate and supreme court cases since 1950, US federal district, appellate, tax and bankruptcy courts since 1923 and US Supreme Court cases since 1791. In addition, it includes citations for cases cited by indexed opinions or journal articles which allows you to find influential cases (usually older or international) which are not yet online or publicly available.
Legal opinions in Google Scholar are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed lawyer. Google does not warrant that the information is complete or accurate.
We normally add new papers several times a week. However, updates to existing records take 6-9 months to a year or longer, because in order to update our records, we need to first recrawl them from the source website. For many larger websites, the speed at which we can update their records is limited by the crawl rate that they allow.
Inclusion and Corrections
We apologize, and we assure you the error was unintentional. Automated extraction of information from articles in diverse fields can be tricky, so an error sometimes sneaks through.
Please write to the owner of the website where the erroneous search result is coming from, and encourage them to provide correct bibliographic data to us, as described in the technical guidelines . Once the data is corrected on their website, it usually takes 6-9 months to a year or longer for it to be updated in Google Scholar. We appreciate your help and your patience.
If you can't find your papers when you search for them by title and by author, please refer your publisher to our technical guidelines .
You can also deposit your papers into your institutional repository or put their PDF versions on your personal website, but please follow your publisher's requirements when you do so. See our technical guidelines for more details on the inclusion process.
We normally add new papers several times a week; however, it might take us some time to crawl larger websites, and corrections to already included papers can take 6-9 months to a year or longer.
Google Scholar generally reflects the state of the web as it is currently visible to our search robots and to the majority of users. When you're searching for relevant papers to read, you wouldn't want it any other way!
If your citation counts have gone down, chances are that either your paper or papers that cite it have either disappeared from the web entirely, or have become unavailable to our search robots, or, perhaps, have been reformatted in a way that made it difficult for our automated software to identify their bibliographic data and references. If you wish to correct this, you'll need to identify the specific documents with indexing problems and ask your publisher to fix them. Please refer to the technical guidelines .
Please do let us know . Please include the URL for the opinion, the corrected information and a source where we can verify the correction.
We're only able to make corrections to court opinions that are hosted on our own website. For corrections to academic papers, books, dissertations and other third-party material, click on the search result in question and contact the owner of the website where the document came from. For corrections to books from Google Book Search, click on the book's title and locate the link to provide feedback at the bottom of the book's page.
General Questions
These are articles which other scholarly articles have referred to, but which we haven't found online. To exclude them from your search results, uncheck the "include citations" box on the left sidebar.
First, click on links labeled [PDF] or [HTML] to the right of the search result's title. Also, check out the "All versions" link at the bottom of the search result.
Second, if you're affiliated with a university, using a computer on campus will often let you access your library's online subscriptions. Look for links labeled with your library's name to the right of the search result's title. Also, see if there's a link to the full text on the publisher's page with the abstract.
Keep in mind that final published versions are often only available to subscribers, and that some articles are not available online at all. Good luck!
Technically, your web browser remembers your settings in a "cookie" on your computer's disk, and sends this cookie to our website along with every search. Check that your browser isn't configured to discard our cookies. Also, check if disabling various proxies or overly helpful privacy settings does the trick. Either way, your settings are stored on your computer, not on our servers, so a long hard look at your browser's preferences or internet options should help cure the machine's forgetfulness.
Not even close. That phrase is our acknowledgement that much of scholarly research involves building on what others have already discovered. It's taken from Sir Isaac Newton's famous quote, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
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- Research Skills Blog
5 free and legal ways to get the full text of research articles
By Carol Hollier on 07-Apr-2021 13:23:17
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1. Use your library if you have one !
If you are affiliated with a university, you probably have free library access to the full text of millions of research articles. The library will have subscribed to these journals on your behalf. The smartest thing you can do for accessing research articles is familiarize yourself with your own library.
- If you search a database your library will link from the records to the full text if they have it—all you need to do is click through the links.
- When they do not have a copy of an article, a university library can get it for you from another library. This inter-library loan service is usually free to users.
- Your library might use a browser extension like Lean Library or LibKey Nomad to link you to the library subscription or open access full text from wherever you are on the internet.
- Google Scholar lets you configure your account to get links straight to your library’s subscription copy of an article. But remember--side-by-side to library subscriptions for legitimate research, Google Scholar includes links to articles published in predatory and unreliable journals that would be unwise to credit in your own work. Learn more about predatory journals.
If you are not affiliated with a university library, there are still ways you can successfully—and legally—get the full text of research articles.
2. Open Access browser extensions
More and more research is published Open Access as governments around the world are mandating that research paid for by taxpayer money be freely available to those taxpayers.
Browser extensions have been created to make it easy to spot when the full text of an article is free. Some of the best are CORE Discovery , Unpaywall and Open Access Button .
Learn more about difference between discovery and access and why it matters for good research: Where to search - Best Practice for Literature Searching - LibGuides at IFIS
3. Google Scholar
You can search the article title inside quotation marks on Google Scholar to see if a link to a copy of the article appears. If it does, be sure to pay attention to what version of the article you are linking to, to be sure you are getting what you think you’re getting. These links can lead to an article's published version of record, a manuscript version, or to a thesis or conference proceeding with the same title and author as the article you expected to find.
4. Researcher platforms
A Google Scholar search might lead you to a researcher platform like Academia.edu or ResearchGate . There, if you set up an account, you can sometimes download or request a copy of the text. Again, pay attention to which version of the text you get!
5. Write to the author
If you can’t get a copy by other means, you can write to an article’s corresponding author and (politely!) ask them to send you a copy. Their contact information, usually an email address, will be listed in the information you find about the article, either in a database record for the article or on the publishing journal’s page for it. Many authors are happy to share a copy of their work.
Three bonus ways that might work depending on where you live:
1. A nearby university library might offer access to articles even if you do not work or study there.
Members of the public are sometimes allowed access to university journal subscriptions through visitor access or a walk-in user service. You usually need to use the collections from a dedicated computer terminal located in a library and may need to make an appointment before you go. Do your research before showing up to make sure you bring the correct documents and equipment (like a flash drive) along.
2. Try your public library
In some countries, public libraries partner with publishers to give the public access to research articles. In the UK, for instance, many public libraries participate in the Access to Research scheme, which gives members of the public on-site access to over 30 million academic articles. Contact your local public library to learn what is available to you.
3. Research4Life
In other countries, your institution might have access to a massive collection of research articles and databases through the publisher/library/United Nations agency initiative Research4Life . Check to see if you already have access, and if not, if your institution might be eligible to join. Membership is only available on an organizational or institutional level.
Remember —even though you now have a lot of strategies for finding the full text of articles, research should never be led by the articles you can access most easily.
Good research is driven by first figuring out what articles are most relevant to your question and then getting the full text of what you need. One of the best ways to do this is to use a good discipline-specific database, like FSTA for the sciences of food and health.
Learn more about difference between discovery and access and why it matters for good research:
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Open Access
Open Access is the free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. Open Access ensures that anyone can access and use these results—to turn ideas into industries and breakthroughs into better lives.
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Research provides the foundation of modern society. Research leads to breakthroughs, and communicating the results of research is what allows us to turn breakthroughs into better lives—to provide new treatments for disease, to implement solutions for challenges like global warming, and to build entire industries around what were once just ideas.
However, our current system for communicating research is crippled by a centuries old model that hasn’t been updated to take advantage of 21st century technology:
- Governments provide most of the funding for research—hundreds of billions of dollars annually—and public institutions employ a large portion of all researchers.
- Researchers publish their findings without the expectation of compensation. Unlike other authors, they hand their work over to publishers without payment, in the interest of advancing human knowledge.
- Through the process of peer review, researchers review each other’s work for free.
- Once published, those that contributed to the research (from taxpayers to the institutions that supported the research itself) have to pay again to access the findings. Though research is produced as a public good, it isn’t available to the public who paid for it.
Our current system for communicating research uses a print-based model in the digital age. Even though research is largely produced with public dollars by researchers who share it freely, the results are hidden behind technical, legal, and financial barriers. These artificial barriers are maintained by legacy publishers and restrict access to a small fraction of users, locking out most of the world’s population and preventing the use of new research techniques.
This fundamental mismatch between what is possible with digital technology—an open system for communicating research results in which anyone, anywhere can contribute—and our outdated publishing system has led to the call for Open Access.
Open Access is the free, immediate, online availability of research articles combined with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. Open Access is the needed modern update for the communication of research that fully utilizes the Internet for what it was originally built to do—accelerate research.
Funders invest in research to advance human knowledge and ultimately improve lives. Open Access increases the return on that investment by ensuring the results of the research they fund can be read and built on by anyone.
Breakthroughs often come from unexpected places ; the Theory of Relativity was developed by a patent clerk. Open Access expands the number of potential contributors to research from just those at institutions wealthy enough to afford journal subscriptions to anyone with an internet connection.
Researchers benefit from having the widest possible audience. Researchers provide their articles to publishers for free, because their compensation comes in the form of recognition for their findings. Open Access means more readers, more potential collaborators, more citations for their work, and ultimately more recognition.
The research enterprise itself benefits when the latest techniques can be easily used. For years, we have had powerful text and data mining tools that can analyze the entire research literature, uncovering trends and connections that no human reader could. While publishers’ technical and legal barriers currently prevent their widespread use, Open Access empowers anyone to use these tools, which hold the potential of revolutionizing how research is conducted.
Even the best ideas remain just that until they are shared, until they can be utilized by others. The more people that can access and build upon the latest research, the more valuable that research becomes and the more likely we are to benefit as a society. More eyes make for smaller problems.
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Open Access Impact Stories
The impact of embracing community over commercialization.
To catalyze discussion around the 2023 International Open Access Week theme of “Community over...
Zenodo’s Open Repository Streamlines Sharing Science
A decade ago, the scientific community recognized that to move from open access to open science,...
African Open Access Textbook and Journal Publishing Gains...
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100 Best Websites to Find Research Articles, Papers & Journals
In the vast landscape of digital information, access to credible academic resources is indispensable for the curious mind. Navigating through a myriad of websites to find scholarly journals, articles, and books can be a daunting task. To aid in this quest for knowledge, we’ve curated a list of the top 100 websites renowned for their repository of academic treasures . These platforms serve as indispensable tools for researchers, students, and enthusiasts seeking reputable and diverse scholarly materials. From comprehensive databases to user-friendly interfaces, each website stands as a testament to the democratization of education and the evolution of digital learning.
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Join us on this expedition through the virtual libraries that serve as gateways to a world of intellectual richness and exploration.
1. Google Scholar
![google_scholar google_scholar](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/google_scholar.jpg)
As a widely-used academic search engine, Google Scholar provides access to scholarly articles, theses, books, and conference papers across various disciplines. Its user-friendly interface allows researchers to explore a vast database of scholarly literature, offering citations, abstracts, and sometimes even full-text access. Its citation tracking feature enables scholars to follow research trends and connect with related publications. With its comprehensive coverage and indexing of academic sources, Google Scholar is an indispensable tool for academics, students, and researchers seeking reliable and diverse scholarly content.
2. ScienceDirect
![where to find research articles for free science-direct](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/science-direct.jpg)
ScienceDirect is a comprehensive platform offering access to a vast collection of academic journals, articles, and books across various scientific disciplines. With a user-friendly interface, it provides researchers and students with a plethora of scholarly resources in fields like science, technology, medicine, and social sciences. ScienceDirect grants access to a multitude of peer-reviewed journals, research articles, book chapters, and reference works. Its advanced search functionalities and intuitive navigation streamline the process of locating relevant literature for academic pursuits.
3. ReaserchGate
As a prominent academic networking platform, ResearchGate fosters collaboration among researchers globally. Offering access to a vast repository of academic journals, articles, and books across disciplines, it serves as a hub for scholarly communication. Researchers can connect, share findings, and access a diverse range of publications, facilitating knowledge exchange and collaborative efforts in advancing scientific endeavors.
4. Springerlink
![where to find research articles for free springerlink](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/springerlink.jpg)
SpringerLink stands as a prominent platform for accessing academic journals, books, and reference works across disciplines such as science, technology, medicine, and the social sciences. Offering a vast collection of peer-reviewed content from renowned publishers, SpringerLink provides access to high-quality research articles, book chapters, and reference materials. Its user-friendly interface facilitates easy navigation and searchability, making it a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and students seeking in-depth academic literature and cutting-edge research in various fields.
VET-Bib serves as a specialized repository for veterinary science-related literature, catering to professionals, researchers, and students in the field. This platform offers a curated collection of academic journals, articles, and books specific to veterinary medicine, animal health, and related disciplines. VET-Bib facilitates access to a diverse range of scholarly resources, including research papers, clinical studies, textbooks, and reports, contributing significantly to advancements in veterinary sciences.
6. Academia.edu
![academia_edu academia_edu](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/academia_edu.jpg)
Academia.edu is a social networking platform designed for academics to share and access scholarly papers, articles, and research. It allows researchers to create profiles, upload their work, and connect with peers worldwide, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. Users can explore a wide range of academic disciplines, access papers, follow scholars, and track research interests. Academia.edu serves as a hub for disseminating research, accessing scholarly content, and networking within the academic community.
7. arXiv.org e-Print Archive
arXiv.org is a preprint repository primarily focused on physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, and statistics. It hosts a vast collection of research papers, providing early access to cutting-edge findings before formal publication. Researchers worldwide contribute to arXiv, sharing their work and enabling the dissemination of crucial discoveries within these disciplines. Its open-access nature encourages collaboration, facilitates rapid dissemination of research, and serves as a vital resource for scholars and students alike.
8. Astrophysics Data System
![where to find research articles for free astrophysics-data-system](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/astrophysics-data-system.jpg)
The Astrophysics Data System (ADS) stands as an authoritative digital library providing access to a wealth of literature in astrophysics, astronomy, and related sciences. ADS serves as a comprehensive platform offering academic journals, articles, conference proceedings, and data sets relevant to the field. Its sophisticated search tools enable researchers to explore astronomical literature, access preprints, and gather valuable resources for their scholarly inquiries.
9. Google Books
Google Books offers an extensive and diverse collection of digitized books, providing access to a wide range of academic literature across multiple disciplines. While not exclusively academic, Google Books encompasses a significant repository of scholarly works, allowing users to preview, purchase, or access full texts of books relevant to their research. Its search feature allows users to explore content, view excerpts, and locate academic publications, making it a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and students.
10. ProQuest
An extensive digital library offering access to a vast array of scholarly journals, articles, and books across multiple disciplines. ProQuest’s user-friendly platform facilitates research, providing comprehensive resources for academics, researchers, and students worldwide. With diverse content, including historical archives, current publications, and multimedia resources, it’s a go-to destination for in-depth exploration and reliable sources.
11. Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
![where to find research articles for free eric_education_resources_information_site](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/eric_education_resources_information_site.jpg)
ERIC is a comprehensive platform offering an array of educational resources, research articles, and publications. It specializes in curating scholarly content related to education, spanning diverse topics from early childhood to higher education. ERIC acts as a centralized hub for educators, researchers, and policymakers, providing access to peer-reviewed articles, reports, and conference papers. With its extensive database, ERIC facilitates exploration and dissemination of knowledge, fostering advancements in educational practices and policies.
12. Microsoft Academic Search
![where to find research articles for free microsoft_academic_search](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/microsoft_academic_search.jpg)
Microsoft Academic Search is a dynamic platform dedicated to facilitating academic exploration and research discovery. Leveraging advanced algorithms and vast data sets, it offers a user-friendly interface to access scholarly articles, publications, and citations across various disciplines. This tool provides in-depth search functionalities, citation analysis, and semantic understanding, empowering researchers to navigate through a plethora of academic resources. Microsoft Academic Search encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovative scholarly pursuits by offering a robust platform for academic exploration.
13. Oxford Academic Journals Search
Oxford Academic Journals Search is a prestigious repository hosting a wide spectrum of scholarly articles and publications across multiple disciplines. Renowned for its high-quality content and authoritative contributions, it serves as a gateway to scholarly excellence. This platform offers access to esteemed journals published by Oxford University Press, encompassing diverse fields such as humanities, social sciences, science, and medicine. With its rigorous peer-review process and rich historical archive, Oxford Academic Journals Search fosters academic inquiry, knowledge dissemination, and intellectual discourse.
![where to find research articles for free jstor](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/jstor.jpg)
JSTOR is a revered digital library providing access to an extensive collection of academic journals, books, and primary sources. Catering to researchers, students, and scholars worldwide, JSTOR archives scholarly content across various disciplines, including arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Known for its archival depth and user-friendly interface, JSTOR grants access to a wealth of peer-reviewed articles, books, and research materials. Its comprehensive database and interdisciplinary approach facilitate scholarly research, critical analysis, and the exploration of historical and contemporary academic literature. JSTOR remains a vital resource for academic pursuits and intellectual discovery.
15. Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Behavioral and Brain Sciences is a prestigious academic journal that publishes target articles and commentary on significant and controversial topics in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and related fields. Recognized for its unique format, BBS publishes comprehensive articles accompanied by multiple commentaries from experts in the field, fostering in-depth discussions and debates on key issues. This journal serves as a platform for rigorous scientific discourse, shaping the direction of research and theory development in behavioral and brain sciences.
16. PubChem
Operated by the NCBI, PubChem stands as an extensive chemical database, offering insights into compound properties, structures, and biological activities. Its collection includes scientific articles, journals, and books relevant to chemistry, pharmacology, and life sciences. Researchers benefit from its comprehensive information on chemical compounds, aiding in drug discovery, bioinformatics, and chemical research.
PubMed serves as a comprehensive resource for accessing biomedical literature. With millions of articles from various fields like medicine, biology, and health sciences, it provides researchers, healthcare professionals, and students with a vast repository of peer-reviewed articles. Its user-friendly interface allows easy navigation through research articles, clinical studies, and reviews, making it an invaluable tool for staying updated on the latest advancements in healthcare and life sciences.
18. CiteSeerX
CiteSxeerX project is funded by the National Science Foundation, is a public integrated digital library, database, and search engine for scientific papers in chemistry. The goal of this project is to develop an intelligent search and database that provides easy access to relevant data for diverse community of users who need for chemical information.
19. Semantic Scholar
Semantic Scholar is an academic search engine that utilizes artificial intelligence methods to provide highly relevant results for journal articles. It is designed to quickly highlight the most important papers and identify the connections between them. It currently includes on computer science and biomedical publications.
20. Web of Science
Web of Science is an online subscription-based scientific citation indexing service that provides a comprehensive citation search. It gives access to multiple databases that reference cross-disciplinary research allowing in-depth exploration of specialized sub-fields within an academic or scientific discipline.
21. Analytical Abstracts
Analytical Abstracts is a literature updating service that keeps researchers and students informed of the latest developments in analytical science. It includes details of the most relevant literature presented as individual records that are easily searchable by analyte, matrix, technique and subject area.
22. Merck Index
The Merck Index is a revered compendium of chemical compounds, providing in-depth information on their properties, structures, and uses. Widely used by chemists, researchers, and students, it offers a wealth of data on chemicals, drugs, and biological substances. With over 11,000 monographs featuring precise details, including synthesis pathways and safety information, it remains an indispensable reference for understanding and researching chemical compounds and their applications.
23. MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus is an online information service created by the United States National Library of Medicine. The service provides curated consumer health information and brings together information from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, other U.S. government agencies, and health-related organizations.
24. Agricola
Agricola is a bibliographic database of citations to the agricultural literature created by the National Agricultural Library. The database indexes a wide variety of publications covering agriculture and its allied fields, including, animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture, fisheries, and many more.
25. AGRIS: Agricultural Database
AGRIS is a global public domain database with more than 8 million structured bibliographical records on agricultural science and technology. The AGRIS Search system allows scientists, researchers to perform sophisticated searches using keywords, journal titles or names of countries, institutions, and authors.
26. WorldCat
WorldCat stands as a vast catalog of library collections worldwide, encompassing books, journals, multimedia materials, and more. It facilitates access to resources held in numerous libraries globally, allowing users to locate and borrow items beyond their local collection. Its extensive database aids researchers, scholars, and enthusiasts in discovering a broad range of academic resources, fostering collaborative research and access to diverse perspectives across various subjects and disciplines.
27. IOPscience
IOPscience serves as a leading platform for accessing scientific content in physics, engineering, and related disciplines. Hosting journals, conference proceedings, and magazines published by the Institute of Physics, it offers a trove of high-quality research articles, reviews, and cutting-edge studies. Researchers and academics benefit from its authoritative content, advanced search features, and access to vital information shaping the forefront of scientific exploration and technological advancements.
28. PLOS ONE
PLOS ONE stands as an open-access, peer-reviewed journal publishing multidisciplinary scientific research. It houses a vast repository of articles across various scientific disciplines, fostering accessibility and collaboration within the academic community. Known for its rigorous review process and commitment to transparency, PLOS ONE promotes diverse research findings and encourages innovation in scientific exploration.
A comprehensive abstract and citation database catering to scientific, technical, medical, and social sciences. Scopus offers access to an extensive collection of peer-reviewed literature, providing researchers and institutions with powerful tools for tracking, analyzing, and visualizing research trends and data. Its vast coverage and analytical features make it a vital resource in the academic community.
30. Advanced Technologies & Aerospace Database
The Advanced Technologies & Aerospace Database provides extensive coverage of advanced technology literature. It features over 26 million A&I records and more than 250 full-text titles that date back to 1962. Its topics cover aeronautics, communications, computer and IT, electronics, lasers, space sciences, telecommunications and many more.
31. Air University Library Index to Military Periodicals (AULIMP)
AULIMP specializes in curating military-centric literature, indexing journals, periodicals, and articles vital to military studies and defense. Catering to scholars, military personnel, and historians, it provides a wealth of resources covering military history, strategy, technology, and policy analysis, aiding in comprehensive research within the defense domain.
32. ACM Digital Library
Geared towards computing professionals, the ACM Digital Library hosts an extensive collection of journals, conference proceedings, and books in computer science and related fields. It offers a rich repository of cutting-edge research, enabling access to pivotal works and fostering innovation and advancement in the realm of technology and computing.
33. Project MUSE
Project MUSE offers a comprehensive digital collection of scholarly journals and books in humanities and social sciences. Recognized for its extensive coverage and user-friendly interface, it provides access to high-quality content from reputable publishers and institutions worldwide. With a focus on academic excellence, Project MUSE supports research, learning, and intellectual discovery.
34. Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory
Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory serves as an authoritative resource for information on academic journals, magazines, and other periodicals. It offers detailed bibliographic data, including publication details, peer-review status, and indexing information. Widely used by researchers, librarians, and institutions, Ulrich’s facilitates the identification and evaluation of publications, aiding in academic research and scholarly communication.
35. OAIster Database
OAIster functions as a global aggregator, collating digital resources from diverse libraries worldwide. With access to academic content spanning journals, theses, and books sourced from various repositories and institutions, it provides a comprehensive search platform across disciplines, aiding researchers in accessing a wide array of scholarly materials.
36. Beilstein Database
A renowned resource in organic chemistry, Beilstein Database aggregates exhaustive data on organic compounds, providing critical information on their properties, reactions, and synthesis methods. Researchers access a plethora of peer-reviewed articles, journals, and books, empowering scientific exploration and innovation in chemical research and development.
37. Mendeley
Mendeley, a reference manager and academic social network, empowers researchers to organize, annotate, and collaborate on research papers and articles. Its user-friendly platform enables citation management, document sharing, and networking among scholars globally. With integrated features for discovery and collaboration, Mendeley streamlines the research process and supports scholarly communication.
38. Chinese Social Science Citation Index
Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI) is an interdisciplinary citation index program in China. This citation database covers more than 500 Chinese academic journals of humanities and social sciences. Many Chinese universities and institutes use CSSCI as a basis for the evaluation of academic achievements and promotion.
39. Library of Congress
The Library of Congress offers an extensive collection of academic journals, articles, and books spanning diverse disciplines. As the largest library in the world, it provides access to unparalleled resources, including historical manuscripts, government publications, and research materials. With a vast digital repository, users can delve into scholarly literature, research papers, and educational resources, making it an indispensable hub for academic pursuits.
40. CiNii Articles
As a comprehensive Japanese academic database, CiNii Articles houses a diverse collection of scholarly articles, theses, and research papers spanning multiple disciplines. Drawing from Japanese academic institutions, it facilitates cross-disciplinary research, serving as a valuable resource for global knowledge dissemination.
41. PsycINFO
PsycINFO, curated by the American Psychological Association (APA), is a comprehensive database encompassing literature in psychology and related disciplines. It indexes scholarly journals, books, conference proceedings, and other resources, providing access to psychological research, behavioral sciences, and mental health literature. With its extensive coverage of peer-reviewed content, PsycINFO aids researchers, psychologists, educators, and students in accessing credible and relevant information, enabling informed analysis and understanding within the realm of psychology and associated fields.
42. Tisch Library – Journals and Articles
Tisch Library serves as a central academic resource hub at Tufts University, providing access to a vast collection of scholarly materials, including books, journals, databases, and multimedia resources. With expert librarians offering guidance and support, Tisch Library facilitates research and learning, offering access to diverse information sources and fostering a conducive environment for academic exploration.
43. OpenEdition.org
OpenEdition.org is a digital publishing platform dedicated to the humanities and social sciences. Hosting journals, books, and research content, it promotes open access to scholarly resources, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge dissemination. With a commitment to free access and innovative publishing models, OpenEdition.org facilitates academic exchange and contributes to the democratization of knowledge.
44. Digital Library Of The Commons Repository (DLC)
DLC is a comprehensive resource housing academic works on the commons, including scholarly articles, theses, and research papers. It curates a vast collection focused on topics like environmental studies, economics, and social sciences. Users access a wealth of resources supporting interdisciplinary research on communal resources, governance, and sustainability.
45. Arts & Humanities Citation Index
The Arts & Humanities Citation Index is a citation index, with abstracting and indexing for more than 1,700 arts and humanities journals, and coverage of disciplines that includes social and natural science journals. Its subjects cover arts, humanities, language, poetry, music, classical works, history, philosophy, architecture, religion, and many more.
46. Science Citation Index
An esteemed bibliographic database, Science Citation Index, meticulously indexes scientific literature across various disciplines. It enables researchers to navigate and explore scholarly articles based on citation connections, facilitating robust literature reviews and comprehensive insights into academic trends and advancements.
47. EurekaMag Biomedical Library
Focused on the biomedical field, EurekaMag offers an extensive repository of research articles, journals, and publications. Specializing in biological and medical sciences, this library provides a wealth of knowledge for professionals, researchers, and students. Its curated collection spans diverse subfields, offering valuable insights and updates within the biomedical domain.
48. CERN Document Server (CDS)
The CERN Document Server is the institutional repository that provides acquisition, search and collaborative tools to manage collections of documents produced at CERN. This includes HEP documents, multimedia documents, bulletins, administrative documents, EU project documents and many more.
49. Open Library
Open Library stands as a digital repository, granting free access to an impressive array of academic journals, articles, and books. Its open-source platform enables users to explore a wide spectrum of scholarly content, fostering global access to educational resources. With a user-friendly interface, it supports research endeavors by offering a comprehensive collection of materials, ranging from classic literature to contemporary academic publications.
50. Ei Compendex
A pivotal resource for engineers, Ei Compendex boasts an extensive engineering database comprising journals, conference proceedings, and articles. Covering a wide array of engineering disciplines such as mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering, it serves as a gateway to cutting-edge research and advancements in the field.
Embase stands as a pivotal repository for biomedical research, housing a wide array of peer-reviewed journals, conference abstracts, and articles. Specializing in pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical medicine, it aids medical professionals and researchers in accessing crucial information for evidence-based practice and scientific exploration.
52. IEEE Xplore
A paramount platform for engineering and technology, IEEE Xplore is a treasure trove of research papers, conference proceedings, and technical articles. It hosts a plethora of resources spanning electrical engineering, computer science, and related fields, fostering innovation and knowledge dissemination among professionals and academia.
53. Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
SSRN serves as a leading platform for social sciences, offering a vast repository of preprints, working papers, and published articles. Embracing disciplines like economics, law, and humanities, SSRN facilitates scholarly collaboration and dissemination, fostering discussions and advancements in social science research.
54. The World Factbook – CIA
The World Factbook offers information on the people, history, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. It provides maps of the major world regions, flags of the World, political maps of the World, world oceans map as well as standard time zones of the world map.
55. Europe PMC
A comprehensive platform for accessing biomedical literature, Europe PMC hosts a vast repository of academic journals, articles, and books. It offers a user-friendly interface, allowing researchers to explore a wealth of scientific content, including full-text articles, abstracts, and research papers across various disciplines within the life sciences. With powerful search capabilities and access to funding information, Europe PMC facilitates efficient navigation through a diverse collection, supporting scholars, scientists, and healthcare professionals in their quest for credible and relevant academic resources.
56. National Diet Library
Serving as Japan’s national library, the National Diet Library provides a rich assortment of academic journals, articles, and books, reflecting the country’s cultural and scholarly heritage. It encompasses an extensive collection of publications, archives, and digital resources, catering not only to researchers and scholars but also to the general public. With its emphasis on Japanese history, culture, and scholarly works, the library offers a valuable repository, fostering academic exploration and knowledge dissemination on a national scale.
57. DBLP Computer Science Bibliography
Renowned in the field of computer science, DBLP stands as a comprehensive bibliographic database, meticulously curating academic journals, articles, and books within the realm of computing. Its meticulous indexing covers a wide array of topics, including algorithms, artificial intelligence, and software engineering. Researchers benefit from its organized and structured platform, facilitating easy access to authoritative publications, conference proceedings, and scholarly contributions, making it an indispensable resource for the computer science community worldwide.
58. National Archives Catalog
As a treasure trove of historical records and government documents, the National Archives Catalog preserves the rich tapestry of the United States’ history. It serves as a gateway to a vast collection of academic journals, articles, and books, encompassing an extensive range of topics spanning politics, culture, and society. With its user-friendly interface and comprehensive search functionalities, researchers, historians, and the public can delve into primary sources, manuscripts, and official records, unraveling the nation’s past and shaping contemporary understanding.
59. University of Guelph Library
The University of Guelph Library stands as a comprehensive repository, offering an extensive collection of books, journals, and articles across diverse disciplines. It caters to the research and academic needs of students, faculty, and scholars, fostering a conducive environment for learning, exploration, and scholarly pursuits.
60. Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)
CAS is an online source of chemical information that provides many tools such as SciFinder and tagged keywords, summaries, indexes of disclosures and structures of compounds in recently published scientific documents. CAS has over 8,000 journals, technical reports, dissertations, conference proceedings available in different languages.
61. Scientific Information Database (SID)
SID serves as an Iranian digital repository housing scholarly journals, articles, and theses across various domains. It plays a pivotal role in disseminating scientific knowledge, enabling research collaboration and providing access to valuable academic content within Iran and globally, fostering innovation and academic growth.
A leading aggregator of open-access research content, CORE collates millions of academic journals, articles, and books from various repositories and repositories globally. It offers a centralized platform, facilitating seamless access to diverse scholarly publications across multiple disciplines. Emphasizing open access, CORE champions unrestricted availability to research literature, providing researchers and students with a valuable resource for discovering scholarly works, enhancing academic exploration, and fostering collaboration. With its expansive collection and user-friendly interface, CORE stands as an essential tool for accessing credible and diverse academic resources.
63. Research Papers in Economics (RePEc)
RePEc is a collaborative effort of hundreds of volunteers to enhance the dissemination of research in economics and related sciences. The heart of the project is a decentralized bibliographic database of working papers, journal articles, books, books chapters and software components, all maintained by volunteers.
64. Book Review Index Online
Offering a comprehensive collection of book reviews, this platform serves as a valuable resource for scholars and book enthusiasts. Users gain access to extensive critiques spanning various genres and subjects, aiding in informed decision-making for academic pursuits or leisure reading. Its indexed reviews enable efficient searches and critical assessments, providing a nuanced understanding of literary works and their scholarly reception.
65. IngentaConnect
![ingentaconnect ingentaconnect](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ingentaconnect.jpg)
IngentaConnect provides online articles from over 30000 publications. Abstracts are free; full text is available by subscription or pay-per-view. The site is ideal for publishers looking to put their content online for the first time and increase the global visibility of their publications.
66. ASCE Library
ASCE Library is an online civil engineering database that provides the contents of peer-reviewed journals, proceedings, e-books, and standards published by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It offers free access to abstracts of academic journal articles, proceedings papers, e-books, standards, etc.
67. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Renowned for its pivotal role in economic research, NBER is a hub for high-quality academic papers and data-driven analysis. Catering to economists and policymakers, it disseminates groundbreaking research on diverse economic facets. The site offers access to a wealth of working papers, economic indicators, and conferences, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field.
Tailored for researchers in science and engineering, Inspec is an indispensable database hosting a vast collection of peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, and patents. Its meticulously curated content covers an array of disciplines, providing in-depth insights and cutting-edge information crucial for technological advancements and academic pursuits.
69. INSPIRE-HEP
INSPIRE-HEP is an open access digital library for the field of high energy physics. In addition to scientific papers, It provides other information like citation metrics, plots extracted from papers or internal experiment notes and tools for users to improve metadata.
70. MathSciNet Mathematical Reviews
MathSciNet is a fully searchable database with many tools designed to help navigate the mathematical sciences literature. It serves researchers and scholars in the mathematical sciences by providing peer-reviewed articles and books.
71. African Journals Online (AJOL)
AJOL is the world’s largest online library of peer-reviewed, African-published scholarly journals. With AJOL, you can browse peer-reviewed journals from Africa and download full text articles. Articles can be searched by title, authors or keywords.
72. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
A champion of open access, DOAJ serves as a goldmine for scholarly literature, housing a wide spectrum of peer-reviewed journals across disciplines. By promoting unrestricted access to quality research, it empowers academics worldwide. Its stringent criteria ensure credibility, fostering transparency and democratizing knowledge dissemination.
73. JournalTOCs
Aiming to streamline academic research, JournalTOCs aggregates tables of contents from thousands of scholarly journals. This platform facilitates swift access to the latest articles, aiding researchers in staying updated within their areas of interest. Its user-friendly interface and customizable alerts enable efficient navigation through a plethora of scholarly content, optimizing the research process.
74. AcademicJournals.org
![academic_journals_org academic_journals_org](https://www.quertime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/academic_journals_org.jpg)
AcademicJournals.org is a broad-based open access publisher. It provides free access to research information to the international community without financial, legal or technical barriers. All the journals from this organization will be freely distributed and available from multiple websites.
75. Library Genesis (LibGen)
A controversial yet immensely popular platform, LibGen hosts an extensive catalog of academic texts, journals, and books. Known for its extensive collection and accessibility, LibGen is a resource for individuals seeking academic materials that might not be readily available through traditional channels. It has gained traction as a resource for users worldwide due to its broad range of content.
76. PhilPapers.org
PhilPapers.org is a comprehensive index and bibliography of philosophy maintained by the community of philosophers. It’s an online source of research content in philosophy, including journals, books, open access archives, and personal pages maintained by academics.
77. SciELO.org
SciELO hosts a vast collection of academic journals primarily from Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and other Ibero-American regions. It’s a rich resource for accessing scholarly articles in various disciplines, offering open access to high-quality research, fostering knowledge sharing, and promoting regional academic excellence.
78. EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO is a comprehensive platform providing access to a wide array of scholarly journals, articles, and books across multiple disciplines. With its user-friendly interface and robust search capabilities, it’s a go-to resource for researchers, libraries, and institutions globally, offering diverse content and valuable research tools.
79. Econlit
EconLit, a premier resource for economics research, curates a comprehensive database of scholarly journals, articles, and books in the field. Tailored for economists, researchers, and students, it encompasses a vast array of economic literature, including peer-reviewed articles, working papers, and conference proceedings. Its specialized focus ensures in-depth coverage of economic theories, trends, and analyses, serving as an indispensable tool for those immersed in economic studies and research.
80. State Legislative Websites Directory
This online database contains information gleaned from the websites of the 50 state legislatures, the District of Columbia and the territories. You can select to view specific website content materials such as, bills, press rooms, statutes from any states.
81. Information Bridge: Department of Energy Scientific and Technical Information
The Information Bridge serves as a hub for the Department of Energy’s vast scientific and technical knowledge repository. It houses a comprehensive collection of academic journals, articles, and books, focusing on energy-related research. Researchers and academics access cutting-edge information on various energy disciplines, from renewable energy to nuclear physics, aiding in scholarly pursuits and industry advancements.
82. BioOne Complete
BioOne Complete is a specialized database catering to the life sciences, environmental studies, and related fields. It curates a collection of high-impact scholarly journals and research articles, facilitating access to cutting-edge biological research and ecological studies.
83. Civil Engineering Database
CEDB is a free bibliographic database for all ASCE publications including journals, conference proceedings, books, standards, manuals, magazines, and newspapers on all the disciplines of civil engineering. The coverage dates back to 1872.
84. LessonPlanet
LessonPlanet serves educators by offering a vast repository of lesson plans, teaching resources, and educational materials. It’s an invaluable tool for teachers, providing curated content to enhance classroom instruction and streamline lesson planning across various subjects and grade levels.
85. CiteULike
CiteULike is a free online service that allows users to save and share citations to academic papers. Based on the principle of social bookmarking, the site works to promote and to develop the sharing of scientific references amongst researchers.
86. Science.gov
Science.gov acts as a centralized gateway to authoritative scientific information sourced from multiple U.S. government agencies. It aggregates a wide spectrum of academic journals, articles, and books across scientific domains. This resource facilitates comprehensive searches, empowering researchers with reliable scientific data and publications crucial for academic research and evidence-based decision-making.
87. Cochrane Library
Cochrane Library is renowned for its systematic reviews and evidence-based healthcare research. It’s a crucial resource for medical professionals and researchers, offering comprehensive reviews that inform healthcare decisions and practices worldwide.
88. CAB Abstracts – CABI
CAB Abstracts is an English-language bibliographic information online service that provides access to the world’s applied life sciences literature. It comes with CABI Full Text, giving users automatic access to over 410,000 journal articles, conference papers and reports.
Zenodo is an open-access repository for scientific research data, enabling researchers to store, share, and explore datasets across disciplines. It promotes collaboration, transparency, and accessibility in scientific research, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange within the global research community.
90. Archives Hub
Archives Hub serves as a gateway to historical archives in the UK, offering access to a wealth of primary sources. It consolidates descriptions of archives held in various institutions, facilitating academic research. Through detailed records, researchers explore diverse topics spanning arts, humanities, and social sciences. The platform enables users to locate specific materials, aiding in comprehensive and in-depth investigations. Archives Hub stands as a vital resource for scholars delving into historical records, fostering a deeper understanding of past events and societal evolution.
91. OpenStax
Dedicated to advancing access to education, OpenStax offers free, peer-reviewed, and openly licensed textbooks. As an initiative aiming to alleviate the financial burden of education, OpenStax provides quality academic resources across various subjects. With a mission to make learning more accessible, it supports educators and learners globally by offering high-quality educational materials at no cost.
92. Bioline Internationl
Bioline International stands as a prominent platform offering open-access scholarly resources in the life sciences. Hosting a vast repository of peer-reviewed journals from developing countries, it promotes global access to valuable research. With a focus on biodiversity, environment, and healthcare, Bioline International facilitates the dissemination of cutting-edge scientific knowledge. Its diverse collection empowers researchers, students, and practitioners worldwide, fostering collaboration and advancing scientific discovery in crucial fields.
93. WorldWideScience
WorldWideScience serves as a global platform, aggregating scientific content from various countries and international organizations. It offers access to an extensive repository of academic journals, articles, and books, transcending geographical barriers. Researchers benefit from diverse perspectives and a wealth of information, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange on an international scale.
94. Dimensions.ai
Dimensions.ai is an innovative research platform revolutionizing academic exploration. It integrates a vast array of scholarly resources, including articles, datasets, grants, and patents, offering a comprehensive view of research landscapes. Using sophisticated analytics and visualization tools, it assists researchers in uncovering connections, trends, and emerging areas of study. Dimensions.ai facilitates efficient literature searches, empowering scholars to navigate the expansive realm of academia and make informed contributions to their fields.
95. Ethnologue
Ethnologue is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It contains information on over 7000 languages including the number of speakers, locations, dialects, linguistic affiliations, autonyms, etc.
96. Taylor & Francis Online
Taylor & Francis Online hosts a vast collection of academic journals, articles, and books across various disciplines. With a user-friendly interface, it offers extensive resources in fields like science, humanities, social sciences, and more. Researchers benefit from comprehensive search tools, robust citation metrics, and access to cutting-edge research.
97. Zentralblatt MATH
Zentralblatt MATH serves as a comprehensive database for mathematical literature, covering a broad spectrum of mathematical research. With its extensive collection of abstracts and reviews, it provides valuable insights into mathematical publications worldwide. Researchers benefit from its indexing of mathematical articles, enabling efficient access to critical information, fostering collaboration, and supporting advancements in the field of mathematics.
98. PubMed Central
PubMed Central, a free digital repository, is a treasure trove of biomedical and life sciences literature. Hosting a vast archive of peer-reviewed articles, PubMed Central is a go-to platform for researchers, healthcare professionals, and students. Its comprehensive database encompasses a myriad of topics, facilitating easy access to authoritative information and fostering advancements in healthcare and life sciences.
99. EconBiz
EconBiz stands as a crucial resource for economists and social scientists, offering access to economic literature, research, and information. It aggregates a diverse range of publications, including articles, working papers, and research papers, facilitating comprehensive research in economics and related disciplines. EconBiz empowers users with efficient search functionalities, access to full-text documents, and information on events and job opportunities, fostering a vibrant academic community in the field of economics.
100. RefSeek – Academic Search Engine
RefSeek is a powerful academic search engine that scours the internet for scholarly resources. It indexes millions of documents, including articles, books, encyclopedias, and journals, ensuring a wide breadth of sources for researchers. With its user-friendly interface and advanced search capabilities, RefSeek streamlines the process of locating credible and authoritative information across various disciplines. It prioritizes academic content, making it an indispensable tool for students, scholars, and educators in their quest for reliable and relevant research materials.
101. Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE)
BASE functions as a robust academic search engine, scouring the web for scholarly resources, including journals, articles, and books. It indexes content from various repositories, providing a user-friendly interface for researchers worldwide. With a focus on open access materials, BASE enhances accessibility to academic literature, supporting scholarly investigations across multiple disciplines.
102. JournalSeek
JournalSeek operates as a comprehensive database for academic journals, offering easy access to scholarly publications. It catalogs journals from diverse disciplines, allowing users to discover relevant articles and research papers. Researchers benefit from a user-friendly interface, streamlined search capabilities, and detailed journal information, facilitating efficient academic exploration and literature reviews.
Click here for more academic databases and search engines .
Remember, while these platforms offer valuable resources, access to some content may require institutional subscriptions or payment. Additionally, it’s essential to verify the credibility and peer-reviewed status of the sources before citing them in academic work.
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How to Find Free Articles on Google Scholar
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Are you working on a research project or simply looking for credible information? Google Scholar can help you find free and credible research articles.
Instead of searching for scholarly articles in a standard Google search, you can use a simpler method to find articles. Google Scholar is a division of Google that focuses on scholarly literature, that way you can easily find articles that you need for your research.
Find Free Articles on Google Scholar
You might enjoy reading insanely weird articles on Wikipedia . However, maybe it's time that you read information from the academics that the world has to offer.
![where to find research articles for free Hands browsing on a laptop.](https://static1.makeuseofimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/laptop-browsing-articles-e1625684604844.jpg)
It can be frustrating searching the internet for articles, without finding anything that doesn't require payment. Google Scholar offers a wide variety of research articles, many of which are available for free.
Here's how to find free articles on Google Scholar:
- Head to Google Scholar .
- Type out a keyword search in the search bar.
- When the results are displayed, only check for articles with a PDF text link.
- Click on the link for your desired article.
- Check if the article has a free downloadable link, or if you can read it for free online.
- Once you have found a free article, save the PDF document onto your device or read it online.
Typically, free articles on Google Scholar have a visible PDF text link next to the article title. If you are unlucky, the link will lead you to the publisher's website, where you would have to purchase the article.
However, when the article is free, you can save the document or read it online.
![where to find research articles for free Google Scholar opening page](https://static1.makeuseofimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Google-Scholar-Screenshot.jpg)
Finding Recently Published Articles
Google Scholar allows you to filter your search to a specific time frame. This way, you can find articles that were recently published, or that were published over 5 to 10 years ago.
To find an article according to the year it was published, click Since Year on Google Scholar's left sidebar. This allows you to find article papers that were published from the specified year. You can also choose whether you want the results page on Google Chrome to sort articles by date or relevance.
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Click Sort by date to show just the new additions. If you are not too concerned about when the articles were published, you may click on Any time , which you will find in the left sidebar.
If you are looking for a less academic platform to gather information, you can use LinkedIn as a research tool instead.
Improve Your Research Skills
Knowing how to research effectively is not an easy skill to have. Luckily, the internet makes life easier in so many ways. One of those ways is helping you research better.
If you are a research student, you might want to find out how to make the most of your search browser. That way you can get the best results from your research.
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“Free Full Text Articles”: Where to Search for Them?
Ashish singh.
Consultant Dermatologist, Parkinsganj, Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Manish Singh
1 Department of Neurosurgery, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India
Ajai Kumar Singh
2 Department of Neurology, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Vibhooti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Deepti Singh
3 Consultant Psychiatrist, Parkinsganj, Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Pratibha Singh
4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India
Abhishek Sharma
5 Department of Surgical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, Delhi, India
References form the backbone of any medical literature. Presently, because of high inflation, it is very difficult for any library/organization/college to purchase all journals. The condition is even worse for an individual person, such as private practitioners. The solution lies in the free availability of full-text articles. Here, the authors share their experiences about the accessibility of free full-text articles.
INTRODUCTION
Presently, in India nearly 314 medical colleges are providing undergraduate medical education in the form of MBBS, 163 colleges are providing doctor of medicine in diploma in Dermatology,Venereology and Leprosy (DVL), and 84 colleges are providing diploma in DVL.[ 1 – 3 ] In addition to this, 27 hospitals are providing diplomate of national board in diploma in Venereology and Dermatology.[ 4 ] On comparing this data with number of research articles published, the latter stands in a mediocre situation. One of the important cause responsible for the relatively less number of research publication is unavailability of free full-text articles. Research works, published by most of the journals, are paid. Many of the undergraduates or postgraduate students may not be able to purchase these high-cost journals or articles. In addition to this, many researchers may not be willing to spend money on journals. These are some of the situations where free full-text articles come for rescue, but many of the beginners may not be familiar about how to search these articles. In addition, free full-text articles are the first choice for many of the postgraduate students for their dissertation.
HOW TO APPROACH
In addition to journals which are fully Open Access, there are few other journals which operate through subscriptions as mainstream journals do, but which offer open access to the electronic versions of their articles after a delay of usually a year, or selectively for individual articles, provided the authors have paid an additional charge to “open up” the articles.[ 5 ]
Free full-text articles can be approached in the following ways.
Medknow Publications
Medknow Publications publish nearly 150 journals. They provide free access to the electronic editions of their journals.[ 6 ] Researchers just have to open the site www.medknow.com , fill the key word they require, and search. Alternatively, they can visit the search option, available in most of their journals site through www.journalonweb.com , fill the key word, and search across multiple journals. At times, this site alone provides sufficient number of references required for the purpose. The important dermatological journals published by Medknow Publications are Indian Dermatology Online Journal, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology, Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS, International Journal of Trichology, and Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery.[ 7 ]
PubMed Central and PubMed
PubMed Central is the United States National Library of Medicine's digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature which provides free access to the full text of articles.[ 8 ] To search for free full-text articles on PubMed Central, one has to visit the site http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ , write the topic/author/journal title, and search across all articles.
PubMed is a database of citations and abstracts for articles from thousands of journals. PubMed does not include full-text journal articles.[ 9 ] It includes links to full-text articles at many journal web sites as well as to most of the articles in PubMed Central.[ 10 ] Here, articles can be searched on the site http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed . Search can be restricted to contents free on web by using filter your results and clicking free full text.[ 11 ]
Directory of Open Access Journals
The directory aims to cover all open access scientific and scholarly journals that use a quality control system to guarantee the content.[ 12 ] It provides articles from 439 medicinal journals. Among them, 21 are from dermatology.[ 13 ] It includes Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, BMC Dermatology, Case Reports in Dermatology, Clinical Dermatology, Clinical Medicine Insights: Dermatology, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Dermatología Peruana, Dermatology Online Journal,th Dermatology Reports, Dermatology Research and Practice, Egyptian Dermatology Online Journal, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, The Internet Journal of Dermatology, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology Research, Journal of the Egyptian Women's Dermatologic Society, Open Dermatology Journal, Revista Argentina de Dermatología, Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology, Turk Dermatoloji Dergisi, Turkderm.[ 14 ] The disadvantage of directory of open access journals is that few of these journals are in languages other than English. Here, articles can be searched on the site http://www.doaj.org .
Electronic Resources in Medicine Consortium and National Medical Library
Electronic Resources in Medicine Consortium (ERMED) and National Medical Library (NML) are an excellent platform for obtaining free of cost recent journal articles for its member colleges. There is no membership fees charged from the Government Medical Colleges and institutions. The private colleges and institutions have to make payment per site price for e-sources purchased by the consortium in every calendar year.[ 15 ] Membership of the college can be checked from the site http://www.nmlermed.in/members.htm or volunteers can contact their library to check the membership and to get the user name and password of the site www.ermed.jccc.in allotted to their college.[ 16 ] In 2009, the number of ERMED members increased from 40 to 72 Government Medical Colleges/Institutes across the country.[ 17 ] At present, it covers nearly 32 journals of dermatology. It includes Acta Dermatoveneorologica Alpina, Pannonica et Adriatica, Acta Dermatovenerologica Croatica, Advances in Skin and Wound Care, American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, American Journal of Dermatopathology, Archives of Dermatological Research, Archives of Dermatology,, Asian Journal of Dermatology, BMC Dermatology, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Clinical Dermatology, Contact Dermatitis, Dermatologic Surgery, Dermatology, Dermatology Nursing, Dermatology Online Journal, Dermatology Times, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, International Journal of Dermatology, Internet Journal of Dermatology, Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Medicine, Open Dermatology Journal, Pediatric Dermatology, Rosacea Review, Skin and Allergy News, Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, Turkdem-Archives of the Turkish Dermatology and Venerology and Turkish Journal of Dermatology.[ 18 ]
Journal articles related to the topic can be searched easily after signing in at the site www.ermed.jccc.in , followed by clicking search database.
Google, Google Scholar, and Yahoo
Google ( http://www.google.com ) and Yahoo search ( http://www.search.yahoo.com ) are two of the world's most hit web pages and two largest web-based search engines.[ 19 ] Usually these are the first search site for any scholar. They provide links for both paid and free articles. The disadvantage associated with these sites is that additionally they provide materials that may not give scholarly information. Many articles are repeated also. But the catch is that one article which is paid at one web link may be free at another web link. Google Scholar ( http://www.scholar.google.com ) provides a simple way to broadly search for the relevant scholarly literature and research.[ 19 ]
The Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library provides high-quality review articles. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews has an impact factor of 5.653 of 2009.[ 20 ] Articles can be searched on the site http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/view/0/index.html .
Public Library of Science
Public library of science is a nonprofit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource.[ 21 ] Everything published on this site is freely available throughout the world, for researchers to read, download, copy, distribute, and use.[ 22 ] Articles can be searched here on the site http://www.plos.org/search.php .
Free Medical Journals
Currently, total 2226 journals are available on this site.[ 23 ] Among them, nearly 30 are journals are related to dermatology and venereology and most of them are in English.[ 24 ] Some journals are available only a few months after the release. Journals can be searched on the site http://www.freemedicaljournals.com/fmj/DERMA.HTM .
It covers more than 125 medical journals and textbooks. After a simple, free registration, Medscape automatically delivers you the specialty site that best fits your profile.[ 25 ] After signing in at www.medscape.com , articles can be searched.
HighWire Press Stanford University
HighWire Press partners with independent scholarly publishers, societies, associations, and university presses to facilitate the digital dissemination of 1465 journals, reference works, books, and proceedings.[ 26 ] Articles can be searched on the site http://highwire.stanford.edu/ . It provides both free and paid articles.
Bioline International
Bioline International provides open access to peer reviewed bioscience journals published in developing countries.[ 27 ] Articles can be searched on the site http://www.bioline.org.br .
Indmed covers about 77 journals indexed from 1985 onwards. A portal medIND provides free full text access to 40 Indian medical journals.[ 28 ] Articles can be searched on the site http://medind.nic.in .
BioMed Central
BioMed Central is a Science, Technology, and Medicine publisher. All original research articles published by BioMed Central are made free and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication.[ 29 ] After free registration, journals can be searched over http://www.biomedcentral.com/browse/journals/ .
Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Important dermatology journals in English included in this site are Acta Dermato-Venereologica, Acta Dermatovenerologica Alpina, Pannonica et Adriatica, Annals of Dermatology, Archives of Dermatology, Asian Journal of Dermatology, BMC Dermatology, Case Reports in Dermatology, Clinical Medicine Insights: Dermatology, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Dermato-Endocrinology, Dermatology Online Journal, Dermatology Reports, Dermatology Research and Practice, Dermatology Times, European Journal of Dermatology, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, International Journal of Trichology, Internet Journal of Dermatology, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology Research, Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Journal of Skin Cancer, Journal of the Egyptian Women's Dermatologic Society, Leprosy Review, Open Dermatology Journal, Rosacea Review, Skin Therapy Letter, World Wide Wounds.[ 30 ] Journals can be seen on the site http://www.gfmer.ch/Medical_journals/Dermatology.htm .
The website of Italian Library Association
Here journals can be traced on the site http://www.aib.it/aib/commiss/cnur/peb/pebs.htm3 . This site provides both free and paid journal articles.
UK PubMed Central
UK PubMed Central (UKPMC) is a full-text article database that extends the functionality of the original PubMed Central (PMC) repository. UKPMC ( http://ukpmc.ac.uk ) has undergone considerable development since its inception in 2007 and now includes both a UKPMC and PubMed search, as well as access to other records such as Agricola, Patents, and recent biomedical theses. UKPMC also differs from PubMed/PMC in that the full text and abstract information can be searched in an integrated manner from one input box. All of the articles in UKPMC are “Free Access,” Not all content available in PMC is made available to UKPMC.[ 31 ]
The University of lowa libraries
Links to few free full-text articles are available at the site http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/eresources/genindexes.asp .
National library of medicine gateway
National library of medicine (NLM) is a user-friendly web-based system that searches not only MEDLINE but also several other NLM databases at the same time.[ 19 ] Articles can be searched here on http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd .
Medical Matrix
Medical Matrix ( http://www.medmatrix.org ) is a comprehensive guide to clinical medicine resources on the Internet.[ 19 ] Medical Matrix links to more than ten MEDLINE sites, including Gateway and PubMed and fee and open access sites.[ 19 ]
World Health Organization
Publications from World Health Organizations can be searched at the site http://www.who.int/publications/en/ .
British Medical Journal Group
Some low income and low middle income countries are entitled to free access of this site.[ 32 ] For other countries, all the articles are not free. Journals can be searched here at site http://group.bmj.com/products/journals/ . This site includes Journal of Sexually Transmitted Infections.
British medical journal (BMJ) Open is an online-only, open access general medical journal, publishing medical research from all disciplines and therapeutic areas.[ 33 ] The journal publishes all research study types, from study protocols to phase I trials to meta-analyses.[ 33 ] Articles can be searched at http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ .
Elsevier Journals
Few journals published by Elsevier, provide free access to non subscribers, after a predefined period of time has elapsed following the final publication.[ 34 ] The list of journals can be seen on website http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authorsview.authors/delayedaccess .
Free full-text articles play a pivotal role in updating the knowledge of physicians and researchers. They play important role in preparation of any manuscript or thesis, for the persons who cannot subscribe to these articles due to any reason. Authors believe that these articles will be useful for such persons. Authors request the readers to contribute any other link for free full-text articles they know.
Source of Support: Nil
Conflict of Interest: None declared.
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How to Find Sources | Scholarly Articles, Books, Etc.
Published on June 13, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.
It’s important to know how to find relevant sources when writing a research paper , literature review , or systematic review .
The types of sources you need will depend on the stage you are at in the research process , but all sources that you use should be credible , up to date, and relevant to your research topic.
There are three main places to look for sources to use in your research:
Research databases
- Your institution’s library
- Other online resources
Table of contents
Library resources, other online sources, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about finding sources.
You can search for scholarly sources online using databases and search engines like Google Scholar . These provide a range of search functions that can help you to find the most relevant sources.
If you are searching for a specific article or book, include the title or the author’s name. Alternatively, if you’re just looking for sources related to your research problem , you can search using keywords. In this case, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the scope of your project and of the most relevant keywords.
Databases can be general (interdisciplinary) or subject-specific.
- You can use subject-specific databases to ensure that the results are relevant to your field.
- When using a general database or search engine, you can still filter results by selecting specific subjects or disciplines.
Example: JSTOR discipline search filter
![where to find research articles for free Filtering by discipline](https://www.scribbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/filtering-by-discipline.png)
Check the table below to find a database that’s relevant to your research.
Google Scholar
To get started, you might also try Google Scholar , an academic search engine that can help you find relevant books and articles. Its “Cited by” function lets you see the number of times a source has been cited. This can tell you something about a source’s credibility and importance to the field.
Example: Google Scholar “Cited by” function
![where to find research articles for free Google Scholar cited by function](https://www.scribbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/google-scholar-cited-by-function-1024x290.png)
Boolean operators
Boolean operators can also help to narrow or expand your search.
Boolean operators are words and symbols like AND , OR , and NOT that you can use to include or exclude keywords to refine your results. For example, a search for “Nietzsche NOT nihilism” will provide results that include the word “Nietzsche” but exclude results that contain the word “nihilism.”
Many databases and search engines have an advanced search function that allows you to refine results in a similar way without typing the Boolean operators manually.
Example: Project Muse advanced search
![where to find research articles for free Project Muse advanced search](https://www.scribbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/project-muse-advanced-search.png)
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The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students. Free citation check included.
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You can find helpful print sources in your institution’s library. These include:
- Journal articles
- Encyclopedias
- Newspapers and magazines
Make sure that the sources you consult are appropriate to your research.
You can find these sources using your institution’s library database. This will allow you to explore the library’s catalog and to search relevant keywords. You can refine your results using Boolean operators .
Once you have found a relevant print source in the library:
- Consider what books are beside it. This can be a great way to find related sources, especially when you’ve found a secondary or tertiary source instead of a primary source .
- Consult the index and bibliography to find the bibliographic information of other relevant sources.
You can consult popular online sources to learn more about your topic. These include:
- Crowdsourced encyclopedias like Wikipedia
You can find these sources using search engines. To refine your search, use Boolean operators in combination with relevant keywords.
However, exercise caution when using online sources. Consider what kinds of sources are appropriate for your research and make sure the sites are credible .
Look for sites with trusted domain extensions:
- URLs that end with .edu are educational resources.
- URLs that end with .gov are government-related resources.
- DOIs often indicate that an article is published in a peer-reviewed , scientific article.
Other sites can still be used, but you should evaluate them carefully and consider alternatives.
If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
- ChatGPT vs human editor
- ChatGPT citations
- Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
- Using ChatGPT for your studies
- What is ChatGPT?
- Chicago style
- Paraphrasing
Plagiarism
- Types of plagiarism
- Self-plagiarism
- Avoiding plagiarism
- Academic integrity
- Consequences of plagiarism
- Common knowledge
You can find sources online using databases and search engines like Google Scholar . Use Boolean operators or advanced search functions to narrow or expand your search.
For print sources, you can use your institution’s library database. This will allow you to explore the library’s catalog and to search relevant keywords.
It is important to find credible sources and use those that you can be sure are sufficiently scholarly .
- Consult your institute’s library to find out what books, journals, research databases, and other types of sources they provide access to.
- Look for books published by respected academic publishing houses and university presses, as these are typically considered trustworthy sources.
- Look for journals that use a peer review process. This means that experts in the field assess the quality and credibility of an article before it is published.
When searching for sources in databases, think of specific keywords that are relevant to your topic , and consider variations on them or synonyms that might be relevant.
Once you have a clear idea of your research parameters and key terms, choose a database that is relevant to your research (e.g., Medline, JSTOR, Project MUSE).
Find out if the database has a “subject search” option. This can help to refine your search. Use Boolean operators to combine your keywords, exclude specific search terms, and search exact phrases to find the most relevant sources.
There are many types of sources commonly used in research. These include:
You’ll likely use a variety of these sources throughout the research process , and the kinds of sources you use will depend on your research topic and goals.
Scholarly sources are written by experts in their field and are typically subjected to peer review . They are intended for a scholarly audience, include a full bibliography, and use scholarly or technical language. For these reasons, they are typically considered credible sources .
Popular sources like magazines and news articles are typically written by journalists. These types of sources usually don’t include a bibliography and are written for a popular, rather than academic, audience. They are not always reliable and may be written from a biased or uninformed perspective, but they can still be cited in some contexts.
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Ryan, E. (2023, May 31). How to Find Sources | Scholarly Articles, Books, Etc.. Scribbr. Retrieved August 5, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/finding-sources/
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The Trick to Access Research Articles for Free
Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM • March 29, 2022 Last updated: August 30, 2023 • 5 min read
![where to find research articles for free](https://nutritionfacts.org/app/uploads/2022/03/7-1200x675.jpeg)
Image Credit: Pixabay . This image has been modified.
The “Robin Hood of Science” continues to provide more than 60 million scientific papers to anyone in the world for free at https://sci-hub.st
The first issues of the first scientific journals were published in 1665, including an “observation made in England, of a spot in one of the Belts of the Planet Jupiter,” thanks to new telescopes invented by a certain Mr. Newton, whose friend Halley described a comet. The same journal that reported that oranges and lemons could cure scurvy and something in willow tree bark could bring down a fever also published a letter by someone over in the Colonies about playing with kites during lightning storms and included an account of a remarkable eight-year-old musician by the name of Amadeus. Within this last century, the journal printed some sketchings of the structure of a molecule called DNA. You can see actual pages from these journals, dating back hundreds of years, at the start of my video How to Access Research Articles for Free . Still publishing to this day, 350 years later, the journal is now available online and in print for the low, low subscription price of only $6,666 a year.
As you can imagine, because of the high price of journals, “doctors and other health professionals in developing countries are missing out on relevant information about health.” In the 1990s, “there was optimism that, by 2004, all—or nearly all—health professionals in developing countries would have access” to life-saving information. But, 2004 came and went, so sights were set on 2015. “Lack of access to information remains a major barrier to knowledge-based health care in developing countries,” but surely, by 2015, we could “achieve health information for all,” right? “Realistically only scientists at really big, well-funded universities in the developed world have full access to published research,” but, as prices rise even higher, even that may no longer be true. You know there’s a problem when even Harvard, with its $30 billion endowment, claims that research journal “costs are now prohibitive.”
Meanwhile, the journal publishers are raking in billions of dollars, charging institutions up to $35,000 a year per journal and charging individuals online per article. Imagine a family member is diagnosed with a disease, so you go online. You can read all sorts of internet drek, but if you want to see the actual science, it can get expensive—“10, $15, $20, even $30 for an individual view of an article.” And, you aren’t only paying to read the research; you likely paid for the research, too. Tax dollars pour in to fund research, but then you can’t get access to the research you paid for? “If it weren’t so well-established, the traditional model of academic publishing would be considered scandalous.”
“Imagine that your local government built a nice green park—but when you tried to have a picnic, a private firm demanded payment for admission. That’s roughly how it works with scientific research…The journal system, which converts public research dollars into private publishing profits, has long been a source of discontent…” The publishers don’t end up paying anything for the research. They get it for free. They don’t pay the researchers anything. “So we pay for it, and then we have to pay again if we want to read it.” In this way, it can end up with science as a profit system, rather than science as knowledge.
Enter Alexandra Elbakyan, nicknamed by some “the Robin Hood of Science.” It’s a “tale of how one researcher has made nearly every scientific paper ever published available for free to anyone, anywhere in the world.”
Named by Nature , perhaps the most prestigious scientific journal in the world, as one of the top ten people who mattered the most in science in 2016, Elbakyan had once been a graduate student in Kazakhstan, “frustrated at being unable to read many scholarly papers because she couldn’t afford them. So she learnt how to circumvent publishers’ paywalls.” Elbakyan then started Sci-Hub, a website originally at sci-hub.io but now at sci-hub.tw “to remove all barriers in the way of science,” by giving away the world’s scientific, medical, and nutrition literature for free.
“What she did is nothing short of awesome,” said one researcher. “Lack of access to the scientific literature is a massive injustice, and she fixed it with one fell swoop.”
Since I originally recorded the narration for my video, the original sci-hub.io website was shut down, but it can currently be reached at https://sci-hub.st/ and five other domains should that one get yanked, too. You can always see the updated active link list on the Sci-Hub Wikipedia page . Links are provided for educational purposes only—literally!
Isn’t it illegal to download “pirated” papers, though? I explore the controversy in the next installment of this two-part series, Sci-Hub Opens Up a World of Knowledge .
My research into Sci-Hub came from a whole webinar I did on research techniques, which was captured into an online Continuing Medical Education course through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Check it out at How to Be an Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner . I’m hoping to have a whole series of courses coming soon, so stay tuned!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- One of the earliest scientific journals is still publishing today, 350 years after its first issue, and is available online and in print for $6,666 a year.
- Due to the high price of journals, health professionals in developing countries are denied access to relevant, life-saving information, and, as costs continue to rise, even large, well-funded universities in the western world may be at risk.
- Journal publishers make billions of dollars annually, charging institutions up to $35,000 a year per journal and individuals per article.
- Studies are often funded by tax dollars, yet the traditional model of academic publishing prevents taxpayers from having access to the research.
- Nicknamed the “Robin Hood of Science,” Alexandra Elbakyan made nearly every scientific paper ever published available at no cost to anyone and everyone.
- As a graduate student in Kazakhstan, Ms. Elbakyan grew frustrated at being unable to read many papers because of the cost, so she learned how to circumvent paywalls and shared the world’s scientific, medical, and nutrition literature for free through her site Sci-Hub.
- My webinar on research techniques is available as an online Continuing Medical Education course through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. See How to Be an Evidence-Based Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner .
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videos here and watch my live presentations:
- 2019: Evidence-Based Weight Loss
- 2016: How Not To Die: The Role of Diet in Preventing, Arresting, and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers
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Understanding Science
How science REALLY works...
- Understanding Science 101
When seeking scientific information, look for resources that come from scientific authorities, that do not have ulterior motives, that are regularly updated, and that provide citations regarding the source of the information presented.
Getting to the source: Where can I get more information?
Your science toolkit: evaluating scientific messages.
- Where does the information come from?
- Are the views of the scientific community accurately portrayed?
- Is the scientific community’s confidence in the ideas accurately portrayed?
- Is a controversy misrepresented or blown out of proportion?
- Where can I get more information?
- How strong is the evidence?
Sometimes an article in your local newspaper just isn’t enough. Maybe you’ve opened your morning paper to a report on herbal treatments for cold symptoms. With your stuffy nose and scratchy throat, the idea sounds appealing — but you need more information about side effects, drug interactions, and the supporting evidence . Or perhaps you’ve heard about policy changes that would encourage people to buy cars that can run on ethanol instead of regular gasoline, but before you jump on the bandwagon you want to know the scientific basis for this switch. A popular science article or an article in your local paper may not give you enough information to make a judgment and may even selectively discuss evidence, ignoring some lines entirely — but with a little extra research, you can do better than your local paper. Where should you go to learn more about the science underlying these issues? For topics of current research, the books available at your library may be out of date and many details are likely squirreled away in journal articles that could be difficult to access and interpret. In this situation, the internet is a great resource, but not all internet sites are created equal and not all of them offer unbiased explanations of the science at stake.
Here are a few considerations for finding additional sources of scientific information online:
- Avoid ulterior motives. Try to avoid websites from groups that might stand to gain by biasing the information presented, like some lobbying or advocacy groups. It’s particularly important (and easy) to avoid websites that are trying to sell something. For example, Buyherbal.com is unlikely to give unbiased evidence of the effectiveness of the herb Echinacea. Instead you might try the National Institutes of Health website, since that organization has no stake in the issue other than helping people stay informed and healthy.
- Keep it current. Science is ongoing and is continually updating and expanding our knowledge of the universe. Scientists publish many hundreds of papers each year on areas of active scientific research. For example, in 2020 alone, more than 14,000 scientific articles on the topic of breast cancer were published.* Because of the rapid pace at which our scientific knowledge advances, websites can easily become out-of-date if not actively maintained. So a website last updated in 2012 is unlikely to give you a useful understanding of the costs and benefits of using ethanol as fuel. Instead, look for a more current website.
- Check for citations. As described in Scientific culture , scientific publications generally give credit to related research by providing a list of citations — and that means that citations can help you gauge a website’s scientific validity. A website that provides a comprehensive list of citations from scientific journal articles is more likely to provide an accurate portrayal of the science involved than one with suspicious, scanty, or nonexistent references. As an added bonus, by studying those references, you can double-check the website’s information or dig even deeper into the issue.
As an example of how one might get more information on a science-related issue, let’s return to our sample article on global warming, which briefly describes scientist Lonnie Thompson’s ice core studies. Where could one find more details on ice cores and how they can inform global warming research? First, you might check out NASA’s introduction to ice cores . It’s from a trustworthy source without ulterior motives (NASA) and was posted relatively recently (2017). And this article from the British Antarctic Survey was published in 2014 and includes even more details and citations.
- Take a sidetrip
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Citations are one mark of a trustworthy scientific resource — but what do these citations look like? Here are just a few examples of sources of scientific information that provide a list of citations (usually at the bottom of the page):
- The Centers for Disease Control on autism
- Science magazine on ethanol
- The National Institutes of Health on Echinacea
Learn more about how to tell if research is peer-reviewed and why this is important from Sense About Science .
Learn strategies for building lessons and activities around Your Science Toolkit:
- Grades 9-12
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*According a search of PubMed, 14,235 articles published in 2020 included the term "breast cancer" in the title.
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6 steps in fact-checking AI-generated content
Generative ai tools are now prevalent, yet the extent of their accuracy isn't always clear. users should question an ai's outputs and verify them before accepting them as fact..
![where to find research articles for free Cameron Hashemi-Pour](https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineImages/contributor_avatar_140X180.jpg)
- Cameron Hashemi-Pour, Site Editor
Information disseminated online is increasingly created with the help of artificial intelligence, but such tools are far from perfect.
Earlier in 2024, Google Chrome users reported the search engine's AI overview provided them with misleading information -- such as telling them to use glue to keep cheese from sliding off pizza and eat one rock per day. This is known as an AI hallucination .
In addition to text, generative AI tools can produce audio, video and imagery. This AI-generated content can be used in research outlines, social media posts, product descriptions, blog posts and email content -- and all of it should be scrutinized. When used incorrectly, AI can mislead the public -- as with the Google example -- compromise data privacy, create biased or discriminatory content and further erode public trust in new technologies.
Six steps to fact-check AI-generated content
While everyone should verify information they find on the internet, it's even more important for content creators who use AI content generators -- such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini -- for assistance. Double-checking AI outputs against credible sources can prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation .
There are multiple steps involved in fact-checking AI-generated content, including the following:
1. Research key points to separate fact from fiction
Even if the content generator appears to have provided well-written and accurate information, users should be conscientious of false information . Make a list of key points in the AI's response and fact-check each one using credible sources. This includes the following information:
- Names and titles.
- Quotations.
- Company names.
- Any numbers -- including dates, statistics and ages.
- Sequence of events.
This is worth the time and effort, as predicating an entire article on information that turns out to be wrong can be detrimental to readers and compromise the writer's credibility.
2. Examine the plausibility of suspicious claims
Keep an eye out for outlandish claims in AI-generated text and audio outputs, as well as visual elements in images and videos that seem out of place. While verifying each claim or image an AI tool produces is important, if something immediately stands out as implausible, users might want to think about discontinuing use of that tool. For example, if a tool asserts there are a billion people living in any given European country and attempts to back it up with fabricated claims, a human can determine the tool is unreliable without research.
3. Validate AI outputs in depth using multiple sources
Sources used to train the AI tool data sets likely won't be quoted directly in the AI's outputs. Since it might be hard to pinpoint the original sources, similar sources can be used to verify the information. And multiple sources are encouraged, including the following:
- Authoritative websites -- including well-known news outlets and organizations.
- Research studies.
- Academic journals.
4. Independent fact-checking sites and tools could help save time
Using official fact-checking sites and tools -- such as Factcheck.org, Google Fact Check Tools, IBM Watson Discovery and Microsoft's natural language processing ( NLP ) -- could help save time. While various websites and research studies offer in-depth information on specific topics, fact-checking tools can take simpler claims and either substantiate or disprove them, making painstaking research unnecessary.
5. Reach out to subject matter experts if needed
To address any remaining uncertainties, reach out to subject matter experts directly. When unsure of an AI's outputs -- possibly because the topic at hand is new or niche and not covered extensively online -- credible websites or databases often provide contact information for qualified individuals, including email addresses or phone numbers.
6. Proofread the content
After all the facts have been verified by human fact-checkers, proofread the document. Like humans, AI systems can also misspell words, and use bad grammar and confusing wording. While using tools such as Grammarly can help in the process, humans should review it, too.
Drawing conclusions about AI content generators
After following these steps, content creators and readers can draw conclusions about whether an AI content generator or website relying on AI-generated content is credible.
In a reader's case, they might determine false AI-generated content has compromised a particular website's credibility if much of the information is incorrect or biased. Content creators who used a faulty AI tool to generate content and spotted many problems could either move forward with the AI tool with an abundance of caution or rule it out entirely and move to a new tool. Conversely, outputs found to be entirely or mostly accurate are indicative of a successful generative AI tool .
![where to find research articles for free Graphic listing successful generative AI outputs](https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/successful_generative_ai_examples-f_mobile.png)
Cameron Hashemi-Pour is a technology writer for WhatIs. Before joining TechTarget, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and received his MFA in Professional Writing/Communications. He then worked at Context Labs (BV), a software company based in Cambridge, MA, as a Technical Editor.
How to detect AI-generated content
Related resources.
- 5 Considerations for Using AI in Analytics –Qlik
- GOVERNMENT NAVIGATING AN UNCERTAIN WORLD –SAS
- 7 trends shaping the future of tax –SAS
- Unlock New Opportunities by Combining Data and AI –Google Cloud
Dig Deeper on Data analytics and AI
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Pros and cons of AI-generated content
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A short guide to managing generative AI hallucinations
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Adobe working to offer GenAI tools from OpenAI and others
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Get 30 days free. 1. Google Scholar. Google Scholar is the clear number one when it comes to academic search engines. It's the power of Google searches applied to research papers and patents. It not only lets you find research papers for all academic disciplines for free but also often provides links to full-text PDF files.
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PubMed Central ® (PMC) is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM) ... Discover a digital archive of scholarly articles, spanning centuries of scientific research. User Guide Learn how to find and read articles of interest to ...
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Other good sources for journals, newspapers, and more available for free on the Internet: Google Scholar - A search engine for scholarly publications from peer-reviewed journals, professional societies, books, theses, and other sources.. Highwire Press - Offers free articles in biological, physical and social sciences and medicine.The site includes a search engine.
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5 free and legal ways to get the full text of research articles. By Carol Hollier on 07-Apr-2021 13:23:17. 1. Use your library if you have one! If you are affiliated with a university, you probably have free library access to the full text of millions of research articles. The library will have subscribed to these journals on your behalf.
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On comparing this data with number of research articles published, the latter stands in a mediocre situation. One of the important cause responsible for the relatively less number of research publication is unavailability of free full-text articles. Research works, published by most of the journals, are paid. Many of the undergraduates or ...
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The "Robin Hood of Science" continues to provide more than 60 million scientific papers to anyone in the world for free at https://sci-hub.st. The first issues of the first scientific journals were published in 1665, including an "observation made in England, of a spot in one of the Belts of the Planet Jupiter," thanks to new telescopes ...
We publish the world's most significant open access portfolio. In 2016, we helped over 78,000 authors from all over the world make their research freely available. We publish over 600 fully open access journals in all disciplines, from the life sciences to the humanities. Authors also have the option to publish their article under an open access licence in more than 1,700 of our subscription ...
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In the current article, I compare my original analysis to ChatGPT results. Generative AI is a mind tool that is ideal when utilised with human insight to check the cohesion, consistency, and ...
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While various websites and research studies offer in-depth information on specific topics, fact-checking tools can take simpler claims and either substantiate or disprove them, making painstaking research unnecessary. 5. Reach out to subject matter experts if needed. To address any remaining uncertainties, reach out to subject matter experts ...
New research published Wednesday found heavy metals in dark chocolate, the latest in a string of studies to raise concerns about toxins in cocoa products.. The researchers tested 72 dark chocolate ...