"Push Button. Get research. Make progress."

During Open Access week 2014, a new version of the Open Access Button was launched. The team behind the Open Access Button aim to help researchers, students and the general public access research papers that are behind paywalls and beyond their means.

The idea came from two medical students who were frustrated at not being able to access all the research they wanted to read. Although the team has expanded to include partnerships with Cottage Labs, Jisc and more, there are still a large number of students donating their time to the project.

The new version of the Open Access Button is a plug-in for your browser that will try to find a free to access version of the article, for example an author’s version deposited to an institutional repository. If an alternative version cannot be found, the Button will then email the author to let them know that someone wants to access their research but can’t.

Find more information about the Open Access Button at the Imperial Open Access Blog

Keep up to date with the project on Twitter @OA_Button.