Recommending open access content to your students is a great way to ensure that everyone can access the resources they need, and using open access content in your research can broaden the scope of the literature. Our guidance below highlights some of the best way to locate open access resources, and explains some of the benefits of using open access content on your reading lists.
Databases are a great place to start when searching for open access content. The list below highlights some of the most useful databases when looking for open access resources.
Another way to locate open access content is to find out which open access publications are provided by publishers you may use regularly in your discipline. Follow the links below to see the open access resources provided by different publishers.
The below tools have been created to make locating open access versions of resources more straightforward. The plug-ins can be added to your browser, and if you hit a paywall while searching for material, they will alert you if there is an open access version available, before giving you the option to view this open access version. Please note these browser pug-ins are freely available tools that are not supported by the University of Essex Library Services.
Using OA resources on your reading lists means that:
If you would like more guidance on finding open access resources for your reading list, please take a look at the webinars delivered by our Academic Liaison Librarians on 'finding online resources for reading lists'. If you have any questions about finding open access content, please do get in touch. Further guidance on creating and editing reading lists can be found in our Reading List guide.
Except where otherwise noted, this work by University of Essex Library and Cultural Services is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.