← The Survival Kit

REACH · The Survival Kit

Find a free legal copy.The article you need, without the paywall.

Paste the DOI, the DOI link or the article's title. We'll look for a free copy the author or publisher has shared legally, and if there isn't one, show you the free ways to get it.

Which article?

Your search goes from your browser to Unpaywall and Crossref, two free scholarly services. Nothing is saved or sent to EFF.

No free copy? The legal routes, in order

Most students get almost any article free through one of these. Try them in this order.

  1. Your campus library. Go to your library’s website (not Google), sign in with your student login, and search the title. Your school may already pay for that journal, and the article opens free. Look for a button like “Get it” or “Find it at my library.”
  2. Interlibrary loan. If your library doesn’t have it, ask for it through interlibrary loan on the library’s website. It’s free at most colleges, and articles often arrive by email in a few days. A librarian can help you fill out the request.
  3. Email the author. Authors are almost always happy to share their own work with a student, and it’s completely legal. Find their email on the article’s first page or their university page, and send the email below.
  4. Your public library card and your state library. A free public library card often opens research databases from home, and many states give every resident free access to databases through the state library. Ask at the desk or search your state library’s website.
  5. Google Scholar’s “All versions.” Search the title on Google Scholar, then click “All versions” under the result. One of them is sometimes a free copy in a university repository. Search Google Scholar.

EFF only points you to legal copies. Pirate sites that post paywalled articles have been ordered shut down by US courts, and using them can put your school account and your devices at risk. The routes above are free, legal and usually just as fast.

Ask the author for a copy

Subject: Request for a copy of your article

Dear Dr. [Author's last name], My name is [Your name], and I'm a student. I'm working on a paper for one of my classes, and your article would really help. I don't have access to it through my library. Would you be willing to send me a copy for my own study? Thank you so much for your time and your work. Sincerely, [Your name]
Open in my email

Send it from your school email so it looks like a student, not spam. Nothing is sent from this page.