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Ekstrom Library

Unlock Scientific Research: at UofL

Lock icon with UofL Libraries in the center.

Library Databases

You might be able to find some research in Google and Google Scholar, but there are lots of ways to unlock academic research. Try searching for keywords related to your topic in one of these scientific research databases provided by your library. 

Have you hit a paywall on a research article?

Lots of academic research is not free to the public. But if you're a university student, you can access anything through the library! It just takes a few simple steps.

1. Search the title of the article only in quotation marks in the search bar on the library's homepage

UofL Library homepage with an article title in quotation marks in the search box.

2. Click on the article title in the catalog. If you can't find it in the catalog, you can chat with a librarian and we'll help you find it. 

3. Then, you should see a View PDF button to the right. 

UofL Librayr catalog article page with View PDF access option button highlighted.

4. There may be multiple links on the next page, but any one should work. 

What if the library doesn't have the article I need?

If the article isn't immediately accessible through the library, you can request it through a free service called Interlibrary Loan

UofL Library catalog with Request through Interlibrary Loan button highlighted.

You'll have to sign up for a free account your first time, but after that you'll stay logged in. Submit the request form and you'll receive an email with the PDF when it's available. This usually takes less than 24 hours but could take longer depending on the day of the week, holidays, and the lending library. 

Need Help? Just Ask!

Tessa picture

Tessa Withorn

Science Librarian

Ekstrom Library