Open Access Helper Web

Open Access Helper Web

Helps you find Open Access copies of paywalled scientific articles, by utilizing Unpaywall and core.ac.uk APIs

What is Open Access Helper Web?
Open Access Helper Web is a Chrome extension designed to simplify the user's access to full text scholarly articles. It uses Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of documents and the APIs of unpaywall.org and core.ac.uk to enable user retrieval of a paywalled document's legal open access copy with a single click. The extension also integrates with EZProxy remote access solution common in university libraries. It respects user privacy, collects only basic, anonymous usage information and is totally legal.
Merlin
Stats
Users: 4,000+
Rating: 5.00 (1)
Version: 2023.12 (Last updated: 2023-12-09)
Creation date: 2020-10-20
Risk impact: High risk impact
Risk likelihood: Very low risk likelihood
Manifest version: 3
Permissions:
  • tabs
  • storage
  • contextMenus
  • scripting
Host permissions:
  • *://*/*
Size: 396.29K
Stats date:

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Merlin
Summary
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Effortless legal access to full text scholarly articles

FIND OPEN ACCESS

When you view a research article, Open Access Helper detects the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of the document and then will query the APIs of unpaywall.org and core.ac.uk to find a link for a legal open access copy. Simply click the Open Access Helper badge to access the document!

As you hover your mouse over the Open Access Helper badge, the extension will tell you whether you are going to see the “Published Version”, “Accepted Version” or “Submitted Version”. The two APIs employed are the gold standard for this type of information.

EZPROXY

Many university libraries employ a remote access solution known as EZProxy. This solution functions by rerouting your connection through the institution’s server and thus making it look to the publisher as if you were on campus. All you have to do is access the settings, type the domain of your institution (e.g. harvard.edu for Harvard University) and save.

When enabled, you can click on the toolbar icon (make sure it is visible) and the popup will show a button to proxy the current page. While I cannot guarantee that your library subscribes to the paper, it couldn’t be more convenient to at least try! In the future, I hope to make this feature more awesome.

IS IT LEGAL?

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User reviews
Very helpful! My professor recommended this for students to use for research :)
by Joanna C. Joanna C., 2021-02-19
View all user reviews
Safety
Risk impact

Open Access Helper Web is risky to use as it requires a number of sensitive permissions that can potentially harm your browser and steal your data. Exercise caution when installing this extension. Review carefully before installing. We recommend that you only install Open Access Helper Web if you trust the publisher.

Risk likelihood

Open Access Helper Web has earned a good reputation and can be trusted.

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