So with Sci-Hub are you able to get that paper with a couple of clicks? (I haven't tried it out yet). Should be possible, I guess: sci-hub.cc/

Generally, I think the shift from "user pays" to "author pays" to provide access to papers is gradually taking place which is good. More and more of the more recent papers have the "author pays" model and are therefore not behind a paywall. See e.g. the paper by Moritz and colleagues here (Sandec seems to have adopted a policy on this, as I see their more recent papers tend to be free access):
www.forum.susana.org/forum/categories/53...ing-of-faecal-sludge

I agree with you that free access (or even better: open access) * would be good to have. I've realised the importance of it also through my Wikipedia editing work where we provide sources for all statements and if these sources are open access then this is easier for the Wikipedia editor and also easier for the Wikipedia reader.

Regards,
Elisabeth

* If anyone is wondering "what's the difference between free access and open access?" then please read here: www.forum.susana.org/forum/categories/16...licies-cc-by-licence

Dear Elisabeth,

Thanks for putting it in the right boxes.

Let me answer just with an actual example about susana's very point of interest:
Why Do Water and Sanitation Systems for the Poor Still Fail? Policy Analysis in Economically Advanced Developing Countries

Abstract:
The results of an independent evaluation of 60 case studies of water and sanitation infrastructure projects in India, Mexico, and South Africa, most of them implemented since 2000, demonstrate an ongoing problem of failing infrastructure even in economically advanced developing countries. This paper presents a meta-analysis of those project case study results and analyses whether the design of existing policies or other factors contribute to failures. It concludes that the observed failures are due to well-known reasons and recommends how the implementation of the Dublin–Rio Principles can be improved. (They were introduced twenty years ago to avoid such failures by means of more sustainable planning.)

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Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef,

Let's not mix up too many topics in this thread. I thought this thread was about how to get hold of academic journal papers that are behind a paywall.

If you want to discuss in more general terms whether such scientific papers are useful for WASH practitioners then that's a different topic (and applies to any sort of research, not just WASH); it could go into a new thread.

If you want to discuss in particular research that the Gates Foundation is funding then I would say this also belongs in a separate thread. We've discussed it a few times before e.g. you could contribute to this thread:
www.forum.susana.org/forum/categories/13...ess-grand-challenges
also there is this earlier one here:
www.forum.susana.org/forum/categories/13...attle-in-august-2012

Please keep in mind that the Gates Foundation funds much more than just high-tech toilets, they also fund lots of low-tech stuff and also no-tech stuff, i.e. behaviour change and plenty of policy and evidence projects (but the mainstream media in the global North loves to pick up on the high-tech toilet news!). The project database gives a good overview of all their WASH projects:
www.susana.org/en/resources/projects
So please do not equate Gates funded projects in WASH with just "plasma toilets".

Finally, if you want to know more about the open access policy of the Gates Foundation for research that they fund please see here (which I find pretty progressive; I haven't seen many other funders doing the same):
www.forum.susana.org/forum/categories/13...ications-from-grants

I hope this helps to clarify things.

Meanwhile, I would like to get back to the original topic and ask the other forum users if they use the mentioned websites to get hold of articles that are behind paywalls? Are you finding them useful?
I.e.

• Research Gate (www.researchgate.net/ or see on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ResearchGate); or
• Sci-Hub, sci-hub.cc/ ( or see on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sci-Hub)

Regards,
Elisabeth

Dear Elisabeth,

I could go on and on about illegal killings via drones and so on to make you and my self depressive, but this is not the topic.

I could go with you if the authors of scientific papers will get a good share or a share at all of Elsevier's (or others) subscription fees and all researchers in this world would have equal access too.
The Academic Publishing Scandal:

In this regard, I wonder about the useful PRACTICAL research outcomes of gatesfoundation.org of "our" (susana's) field of interests outside of universities ivory towers. Where to get "Open Access" and related "Open Design" of it. I contacted this foundation on the subject, but had no reply at all.

Millions spent for what? For a plasma-toilet and so on?

Regards,
Detlef

That's an interesting initiative which I hadn't heard about before. It left me a bit confused though because part of it seems to be "illegal" (although very handy), so I am not sure where this would be going in the longer term. Companies like Elsevier have to make their money somehow, otherwise one day we won't have scientific journals anymore, would we?

I quite like the "author pays" model for open access. This means the author pays a fee to the journal (like to Elsevier) and then all potential readers can download the article free of charge. Rather than the previous model of "reader pays". This is based on the hyphothesis that (most) authors may have more financial means than (most) readers - especially if the authors re in the global North and the readers are in the global South.

Another option is Research Gate, you can also get papers from there, e.g. see this link:
www.researchgate.net/publication/2638093...ions_for_integration

I think (but am not totally sure) that papers are made available there for free, but one has to login first (getting an account is for free though). I joined Research Gate a little while ago but am still unsure what to make of it. Perhaps other users of Research Gate could explain to us some pros and cons of Research Gate (www.researchgate.net/)?

Regards,
Elisabeth

Two researchers made nearly every scientific paper ever published available for free to anyone, anywhere in the world:

- Alexandra Elbakyan, a researcher from Kazakhstan, created Sci-Hub 2011
sci-hub.bz/

While Alexandra later came to find Aaron’s writings inspiring and is working on translating them to Russian, she maintains her greatest inspiration was the countless “inspired people” all around the world who share knowledge in online communities based on their shared belief that knowledge should be free.

- Aaron Swartz from USA (1986 – 2013)




Regards,
Detlef