For journal article emergencies, ReadCube gives you Access

Most of us have experienced this.  You are working on your paper/grant/thesis, you finally come upon THE perfect article to cite.  The abstract hints at things that would totally validate your research and provide an added aspect to the importance of your work.  Excited, you click on the link to to view full text… only to be blocked by a paywall.

Even if you are at the largest research institution in the country, there are still many journal articles out there that your university do not subscribe to.  And at around $30 a pop anyone would be hard pressed to hand out the cash for a single article.  Interlibrary loans is fine and all, but it could sometimes take up to a week to get the article you want.  Sometimes, you really just want instant access… especially at 3 in the morning the day before your paper/proposal/thesis is due.

ReadCube Access to the rescue!

ReadCube Access grants you access the papers you want instantly for as little as $2.99.  Better yet, if your library supplements their site-license subscriptions with ReadCube Access, they will front the bill.  It’s been working out great for the University of Utah.

Not only is it instant and affordable, you get to view an Enhanced PDF version of the article when you access it online through the Web Reader or on the ReadCube desktop app.  Here’s an example of what an enhanced article looks like on the Web Reader.  It’s so great for getting to cited articles.

Right now, ReadCube Access offers over 100 journal titles from Nature Publishing Group.  With more journals to be added in the future, you are likely to see the ReadCube option when you look up papers. Give it a try yourself.