Unpaywall

Unpaywall: Free Academic Research Tool

Free legal research tool to find and access free academic articles, papers & open access versions of paywalled content as you browse

What is Unpaywall?

Unpaywall is a free, open-source web browser extension and research tool that helps scholars, researchers, and curious readers find and access academic papers and articles that are legally available for free online.

It works by automatically scanning millions of academic publications as you browse the web for an open access version of paywalled articles. If an OA version exists in its database of over 20 million publications, Unpaywall will display an unobstrusive tab or icon in your browser allowing one-click access.

Developed as a project of non-profit research lab Impactstory, Unpaywall utilizes machine learning algorithms and data from thousands of academic publishers and repositories to deliver seamless access to legally-hosted open access scholarship. It aims to facilitate wider distribution of and engagement with academic research.

As the majority of contemporary research publications reside behind subscription paywalls, Unpaywall helps scholars circumvent traditional publishing barriers and subscription costs to access, share, and build upon current scholarship and scientific knowledge.

The service integrates with browsers via an extension or bookmarklet and most major scholarly databases and publisher sites. It delivers a simplified and streamlined OA identification and access experience, promoting open research practices for students, academics, scientists, and lay readers.

Unpaywall Features

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