Research After Graduation

You can still conduct research using these free, high-quality academic resources available to everyone on the open web. 

• Google Scholar - Many of the search results from Google Scholar will link to open access and free full-text versions. 

• Semantic Scholar - Semantic Scholar allows users to easily limit search results to full text results only through the "Has PDF" search filter.  

• CORE - CORE is the largest repository of full-text, open access papers. 

• PubMed - Free database from the National Library of Medicine covering biomedical and life sciences literature. Many articles are available in full text through PubMed Central.

• ERIC - Education Resources Information Center covers education research and resources. Includes many full-text articles and reports, and its search results can be limited to those with full text available through the database. 

• Unpaywall - This browser extension for Chrome and Firefox will check for free, open-access versions of articles found paywalled online.

• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) - Directory of high-quality, peer-reviewed open access journals across all disciplines.

• BioMed Central - Open access journals in biomedicine, life sciences, and physical sciences.

• Public Library of Science (PLOS) - Leading open access publisher in science and medicine.

• Directory of Open Access Books - Peer-reviewed open access books across disciplines.

• LibreTexts - Collaborative textbook platform. 

• OpenStax - Free, peer-reviewed textbooks.

• Open Textbook Library - College-level textbooks from across multiple subjects presented in a clean, user-friendly format. 

• Public Libraries - Your local public library may provide access to research databases with a library card. Check your town library's website.

• Public University Libraries - Some public universities allow visitors to use databases on guest computers. Contact the library before visiting.

• Workplace Access - Hospitals, research institutions, law offices, and other employers may provide database access for professional use.

• Install Unpaywall into Chrome or Firefox to help automatically find free versions of articles

• Check if relevant article databases are available through your employer or public library

• Contact authors directly - many will share their papers if requested