Alternative Access to Articles

Update

This page includes information that was created for Elsevier negotiations that happened in 2020. It has been preserved for reference. For updated information on what the University Libraries is doing in open access, please visit our Access Matters webpage at the link below.

Access Matters

If you need assistance or have questions about accessing articles, please contact the University Libraries or visit the journal cancellation guide for more information.

In summary, there are ways to access articles housed behind a publisher paywall.

Install browser plug-ins LibKey Nomad, Open Access Button, and Unpaywall
Contact the author directly. Many universities have faculty open access policies and research is deposited in the university’s institutional repository. Virginia Tech’s institutional repository is VTechWorks.
Connect with the author through ResearchGate.
Search for open access copies through Google Scholar and PubMed Central.
OSF Preprints indexes many online repositories, so you can search from one box.
Contact the University Libraries’ interlibrary loan experts. They can get you the articles you need within a few days.