It's not always easy to find the full-text of journal articles, but there are a number of browser plug-ins that can help. Both for finding the full-text of articles in journals the library subscribes to and also for free Open Access articles.
We previously wrote a blog post about Google Scholar Button: https://isnews.stir.ac.uk/2018/11/19/google-scholar-button/
Google Scholar button enables you to check if you have access (subscription or Open Access) to an article. When viewing a web page of an article (or select the text of any publication reference), click on the Google Scholar button and it automatically runs a search in Google Scholar and returns the top results in a little popup window on the web page you are on.
The results include links to the full-text. Setup 'University of Stirling' in your Google Scholar settings – this means the links will include Stirling’s journal subscriptions:
Go to Google Scholar, choose the menu icon in the top left hand corner, select Settings, select Library Links, search for: Stirling, select the ‘Stirling University Library’ option, click Save
Other nice features:
LibKey Nomad is a browser add-on for the Chrome and Firefox browsers that provides access to articles available through Library subscriptions - or legal Open Access alternatives. Where we don't have immediate access to articles, LibKey Nomad will link you to our Document Delivery service.
LibKey Nomad requires your permission to change data on sites you visit. LibKey is not collecting any personal information. You can view their privacy policy here.
Once LibKey Nomad is installed, you will be prompted to select an institution. You can type stirling in the box to get a short list quickly. Click on University of Stirling to complete the process.
LibKey Nomad will recognise many academic publishers' pages, but does not currently work for JSTOR. Major sites/databases include:
Legal Open Access articles
Using LibKey Nomad
LibKey Nomad scans the pages you visit for publisher URLs. When you land on a page with an article that is available to download, you get a banner alert from LibKey Nomad. Click to download the PDF.
For example on a publisher’s web pages:
In PubMed:
If you land on an article where we don't have access from that website, then LibKey Nomad will link you through to our LibrarySearch page where you can find out if we have access to the article from other sites instead. For example, below the library does not have access at Wiley Online, but clicking on the “Access Options” banner will route you to LibrarySearch and you can access the article from JSTOR instead.
If the Library doesn't have access to an article from other sites, LibrarySearch will offer the option to request the article from our Document Delivery service. (Click on the Sign in option).
If you know of other useful tools for accessing full-text -
let us know: library@stir.ac.uk
The LibKey Nomad brower plug-in (see central pane) can also link to our ebooks!
When using popular publisher sites and platforms that reference ebooks the library has access to, LibKey Nomad will indicate that access is available from the library, then connect you to the ebook content!
Look out for the 'View E-Book' icons:
See 'View E-Book' icon bottom left of Amazon pages:
Platforms where LibKey Nomad links you to our library ebook content include:
LibKey Nomad intelligently links you to the library's available source of the ebook. For example, if you see the LibKey Nomad link for an ebook on the Sage publisher web site - but the library didn't purchase our ebook from Sage - then the LibKey Nomad link will direct you to the site where we have purchased access.
For example: 'View E-book' link appears on the Sage publisher site (bottom left):
Although the LibKey Nomad link appears on the Sage publisher page it links directly to Ebook Central where the library purchased our ebook:
Endnote Click (formerly Kopernio) provides a link to the "best available full-text PDF" of an article and works in the same way as other OA browser extensions; by searching for an OA version on open databases on the Internet. But it's less common feature is that you can set up Endnote Click so that it will also provide a link to enable you to first check whether Stirling's Library provides subscription access.
A guide to getting the most out of Endnote Click and setting up your connection to check your possible subscription access to the PDF, before Endnote Click delivers an OA version, is available - link to guide.
We've found that Endnote Click is best used when you're not on a University computer on campus - because on campus subscription access to articles will be automatic and the other plugins on this page will find OA content.