Unpaywall is a very useful tool that can help identify whether or not open access versions of academic journal articles are available. All you need to do is add the browser extension to Chrome or Firefox. Then the next time you visit a journal article that is behind a paywall, notice if a green unlocked symbol displays on the right side of the screen. If yes, that means an open access version is available. Before clicking on the green symbol, you can hover over the icon to view the URL to which you will be directed - it's always nice to know where you are going before you click! (The URL will display in the lower left corner of your screen.) Once you are satisfied, go ahead and follow the link and begin reading.
Here are two examples of how Unpaywall helps you locate postprint versions of articles:
This is the URL for a recent Refugee Survey Quarterly article: "Refugee Participation Revisited: The Contributions of Refugees to Early International Refugee Law and Policy," by Tristan Harley.
- Notice the green symbol appear on the right. When you hover over it, you will see that the link directs you to the author's personal web site.
This is the URL for a recent article in the Journal of Refugee Studies: "Integration Processes of Syrian Refugees in Turkey: ‘Class-based Integration’," by Doğuş Şimşek.
- Once again, the green symbol appears. Hovering over it reveals that the link will direct you to UCL's institutional repository.
While Unpaywall is not always able to identify every eprint version that is out there, it is still a great tool for discovering open access scholarly literature!
No comments:
Post a Comment