Find Free & Open Information
Search a Broad Database
These scholarly indexes cover many subjects and will link to a free version of a source if available.
- Google Scholar
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Multidisciplinary scholarly search engine. Covers peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts, and articles from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities, and other scholarly organizations. Includes links to USU resources when on campus.
- DimensionsA free, public search engine covering over 100 million publications, ranging from articles published in scholarly journals, books and book chapters, to preprints and conference proceedings.
- Microsoft AcademicAs a competitor to Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic has the same purpose, but its unique features sometimes return different results.
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)Provides access to high quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals. Search for a journals or individual articles among their nearly 6 million results.
Find a Specialized Research Tool
If you're researching within a discipline (education, biology, public policy, etc.) or looking for a specific type of material (e-books, videos, dissertations, etc.), your best bet might be a resource dedicated to that.
- Open Access databasesThis page lists specialized databases that are free and open.
- Government information sourcesThis page lists government information resources that can help with research on a number of subjects. While some require a USU login, most are free and open.
- Open Educational Resources (OER)This page lists places to search for Open Educational Resources (OER), including free and open textbooks, lectures, and other learning materials.
Access Materials You Find Online
Using one of these browser-based tools, you may be able to get access to an article that you would otherwise have to pay for.
- UnpaywallBrowser extension that identifies a free, legal version of the page you’re on.
- OA ButtonSet up as a “bookmarklet” (or link in your bookmarks bar), this searches for a free, legal version of the page you’re on and automates a request to the author(s) if it can’t find one.
- KopernioBrowser extension that identifies a free, legal version of the page you’re on.
If you find an article and can’t get access to it online, try an InterLibrary Loan request through your local public library (see below) or contact the authors directly. Sometimes you can get a copy of a needed article if you email the authors.
