Accessing scholarship
I need an article previously available through the Library's "big deal" with a publisher:
| Access Method | Turnaround TIme | Cost to Library |
|---|---|---|
| Library's subscription to individual journal | Immediate | Journal subscription cost |
| Open access methods (e.g., unpaywall plug-in, journal website, or author-affiliated institutional repository) | Near-immediate | None |
| Unmediated (i.e., token) purchase method | Near-immediate | Individual article token cost |
| Interlibrary Loan for document delivery | A few hours to a few days | Document delivery cost (supplemented by external funding) |
Our friends at SPARC shared with us a quote from a member, who summed up the economic challenges of academic publishing for libraries and universities as, "Often, we are paying for convenience, not access."
It is estimated that more than 28% of scholarly articles are open access and that it is even more common with recent, frequently accessed articles (With unpaywall users in 2015 finding that 47% of the articles they tried to access had an open access version available).
The problems with the oligarchical practices of publishers are systemic, and our individual behavior changes will not be able to solve them. However, our individual actions can potentially be a drop of water in a wave that changes the landscape of academic information. Applying varied search strategies is not something unfamiliar to academics. We humbly ask you to consider applying a few new strategies to support the shift from an oligarchical system of closed ownership to a system of free or open access to critical information.
Additionally, using a few of the tools listed below can help you find and access information quickly, including information and sources you might not be able to access as quickly through library means, like ILL (although we are huge fans of ILL and encourage you to use it whenever needed!).
Apps, plug-ins, and helpful websites
- Unpaywall Browser Extension
This browser plug in will help you find open versions of a work from paywall screens, if one exists on the web.
- Open Access Button
Searches data from Unpaywall and other resources. If no copy is found, you can request that they contact the author to request an article or request they seek to make it open.
- Directory of Open Access Journals
Can also be used to keyword search for articles published in OA journals, similar to how you would search Worldcat or a database.
- Open Research Library
Search open access books in this resource, which plans to make all open material searchable in one interface.
- Digital Commons Library
Search and explore resources in hundreds of University Institutional Repositories from across the world.
Interlibrary loan and document delivery
Interlibrary Loan (also referred to as Get it!, ILL, and Document Delivery) is something that many of us are familiar with, and these services will continue to be essential to researchers getting access to needed resources.
A suggested order of operations for accessing a known item would consist of:
- Search the University Library catalog to see if it is easily findable within our subscriptions.
- If the item is not immediately listed, switch on "Include results that require additional delivery time via Interlibrary Loan," located under Refine Your Results (typically on the left).
- In another tab, search the title of the article to see if a Green OA version has been uploaded to an institutional repository or another accessible self-archiving tool. (Plug-ins like Unpaywall and Open Access Button do this for you if you find yourself at a paywalled version of the article.)
- Search Worldcat or another large aggregator that integrates the library's collections. Open the record page and click the "View access options" button to "Request item through Interlibrary Loan."
Q & A
How can I provide feedback or ask questions?
Contact your liaison librarian and/or the Collection Strategies Librarian.
Will I be able to get access to the full text of articles?
Yes! How the library provides access to select articles is changing, but your ability to access them will not. We will supply them to you on demand.
For faculty, depending on where the article comes from, most items will be delivered within five minutes (or less) to an hour. Undergraduate students and staff should continue to request articles via interlibrary loan.
Can I link to an article in my syllabus if the Library does not have access?
Please see our FAQ on scanning for course packs and course management systems for assistance.
Will I still be able to access databases such as EBSCO, ProQuest, and Scopus?
Yes! You will continue to have the same access to all the databases to which the library subscribes.
Is there a list of journal subscriptions and when they will not be renewed?
There is not a list of journal subscription titles at this time. If access is burdensome compared to accessing articles via the traditional journal subscription model, please email your liaison librarian.
Will books be affected by these changes?
No! The availability of scholarly monographs will not be impacted.
Will it change how I search for an article?
No! The discovery tools remain the same.
Does the Library subscribe to journals if a W&L faculty member is an editor?
No, the Library does not subscribe to journals based on faculty editorship. If you would like to suggest a journal subscription, please email your liaison librarian.
Attribution
Sections of this guide were taken from or inspired by Bucknell University's Collection Development Sustainability Task Force Guide, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.