Guides: Open Access @ Pitt: Finding OA Content

I ran into a paywall! What can I do?

If you've run into a paywall and can't access the article you need, there are many resources available to you.

Try our Search Bar below, powered by the Open Access Button. This tool also provides a browser extension for Chrome and a web interface. If the Button can't find your article freely available, it will send a request to the author on your behalf.

For quick access to open access versions of paywalled articles, try the Unpaywall browser extension for Chrome. Unpaywall alerts you when there is a freely available version of the article available from repositories, preprint archives, or scholarly websites.

CORE Repository Search
CORE’s mission is to aggregate all open access research outputs from repositories and journals worldwide and make them available to the public. In this way CORE facilitates free unrestricted access to research for all.
Free Access to US Federally Funded Research through CHORUS
Search the repositories of CHORUS, a collection of repositories for research that has been funded by the US Federal Agencies.
Bielefield Academic Search Engine (BASE) - Search content from European repositories
This resource searches repositories, and may be particularly good for content from European institutions.
Elsevier's Postdoc Free Access Program
If you are a postdoc, recent PhD graduate, or between academic jobs, the Free Access program from Elsevier may help you get temporary access to some content you need. To be eligible, you must complete a form verifying your credentials, be unemployed for less than 1 year or have a project ending within the next 6 months, and have received your PhD in the past 5 years.
Elsevier Journalist Access Program
If you are a journalist, you may qualify for Elsevier's program to provide free access to Science Direct for journalists.

University of Pittsburgh Library System

Course & Subject Guides

Open Access @ Pitt: Finding OA Content

I ran into a paywall! What can I do?