Research Guides: Free Health Sciences Resources: Evidence-Based Journals & Databases

Free and Open Access Databases

If you are looking for a specific article not available through one of the above databases, try some of these tips:

Search Google Scholar:
- Enter the exact title inside quotation marks in the search bar. There may be a pdf version that is not behind a paywall in the results.
Visit your local library:
- Many public libraries also subscribe to a variety of article and research databases which you can access with a library card.
Try emailing the author(s):
- Look to see if the author has a website. Some may have an accessible copy of their article posted. If not, there should be an author email listed somewhere on the article record or on the author's website. Send an email explaining a little bit about who you are and why you're interested in reading their paper. They may be able to send you a pdf version of the full text.

The following browser extensions can help you find a publicly accessible full text version of an article.

Open Access Button
Downloading the Open Access Button browser extension will add an icon to your browser. When you are on the page of a paid-access article, click on the icon, and the extension will search for a publicly available version of the full text. You can also enter a DOI or citation into the Open Access Button website without downloading the extension.
Unpaywall
After downloading the Unpaywall browser extension, a lock icon will be added to the right side of your browser. When you are on the page of a paid-access article, the lock icon will turn green if the extension locates a publicly accessible version of the full text. Click on the green lock to open the article pdf in another tab or window.