Article Galaxy Scholar: What is Article Galaxy Scholar

Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS) is a tool USU Libraries has deployed to help connect students, staff, and faculty to scholarly articles from journals we may not subscribe to. Anytime you search for articles in search platforms like Quick Search, Scopus, and EBSCO - if that platform cannot provide access to the full text of an article, it will often give an option to use Article Linker, a tool which attempts to get you to the full text of an article if USU Libraries has a subscription to that journal. AGS works with Article Linker to provide full text access to articles in journals that the Library does not subscribe to. 

Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS) will attempt to get you access to an article in three different ways.

• PDF copy of the article
  • If AGS has access to the article's journal, then you will receive a PDF copy of the article via email. This list of activated publishers will let you know what content is available through AGS.
• An open-access version of the article
  • If AGS detects that an open-access version of the article is available, you will be directed to where that is available. If the open-access copy of the article is not the version you want, AGS can still send you a PDF copy of the version of record.
• An interlibrary loan request

  • If AGS does not have access to the article's journal, and if there are no open-access options available, then you will directed to USU Library's interlibrary loan Article Request form, with some fields already populated by data from AGS.

NOTE: USU faculty, students, and staff have 30 days to download the PDF from the link they are provided in the email from Article Galaxy Scholar and the link can only be used twice. We do understand that things happen, so If the link was clicked on twice and you forgot to download the PDF, you can contact customer support with the order number and the PDF can be provided.

Article Galaxy Scholar also works with another tool the Library has made available to help connect you to scholarly articles: Lean Library, a browser plug-in that alerts you when online content is available through the library while you are doing your research both on and off-campus. Lean Library works no matter how you do your research, through Google Scholar or Library databases. The Library's Lean Library libguide can help walk you through the steps of installing and using Lean Library.

Here is how Lean Library works with Article Galaxy Scholar:

Lean Library helps to direct users to full text options for articles in four different ways:

1. If Lean Library detects that you are on a web domain that USU Libraries holds subscribed content on, Lean Library will prompt the you to authenticate with your A-number and Banner password and grant access.

2. If Lean Library detects that you are on web domain where USU Libraries do not have full text access, but confirms that the Library has the article's journal title activated on another web domain, Lean Library will direct the you to the full text website.

3. If Lean Library does not recognize the web domain as one with USU subscribed content, but does match the domain on Lean Library's open access index, it will direct you to the open access domain option.

4. And, if Lean Library does not recognize the web domain as one with USU subscribed content, and does not find the domain in its open access index, it will prompt you to order the article.

The fourth option is where USU Libraries has integrated Article Galaxy Scholar into Lean Library. If you have the Lean Library plugin installed in your browser, and you are attempting to access the article directly from the journal website, Lean Library will display a pop-up with this text:

Get this article in your inbox

USU Libraries can request this item for you

And a button labeled "Order Article"

Selecting "Order Article" opens a tab with Article Galaxy Scholar, and one of three things will happen:

• Article Galaxy Scholar will recognize that the article's journal title is activated for purchases and will prompt you to enter your USU email address and start the process to get you the article.
• Article Galaxy Scholar not does recognize the title as activated, but finds an open access version of the article on Article Galaxy Scholar's own open access index, and directs you to the open access version.
• Article Galaxy Scholar does not recognize the title as activated, and does not find an open access version in its index, and so the user is directed to USU's InterLibrary Loan form with pre-populated fields.