{"url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02666669221144429","title":"Over 50% of researchers have used scholarly piracy sites","domain":"journals.sagepub.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/8533097/pexels-photo-8533097.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"researchers reading papers","category":"Other","language":"en","slug":"007e0600","id":"007e0600-b255-4fda-aae1-65ad4c3176f4","description":"Researchers use various methods to bypass paywalls on scholarly articles despite open access growth.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Researchers use various methods to bypass paywalls on scholarly articles despite open access growth.\n- In a survey of **3304** researchers, over **50%** have used piracy sites at least once.\n- Piracy is less common among older scholars, those in high-income countries, and in life/health or social sciences.\n\n## The story at a glance\nThis study surveys researchers on how they get past paywalls for scholarly papers, including piracy sites like Sci-Hub and legal options like open access searches. Authors Francisco Segado-Boj, Juan Martín-Quevedo, and Juan-José Prieto-Gutiérrez from Spanish universities report findings from **3304** respondents worldwide. It comes amid ongoing debates on open access limits, first published online in December **2022**.\n\n## Key points\n- Most researchers first search for open access versions when facing a paywall.\n- Over **50%** of respondents have used scholarly piracy sites at least once to access papers.\n- Piracy use is lower in high-income countries compared to others.\n- Older researchers and those in established positions use piracy less often.\n- Life & Health Sciences and Social Sciences show lower piracy rates than other fields.\n- Non-users most often cite ethical or legal concerns, or say they did not know about such sites.\n- Survey also covers other options like asking authors, colleagues, reading abstracts, or paying personally/institutionally.\n\n## Details and context\nThe study highlights that paywalls persist even as open access expands, pushing researchers toward workarounds. It analyzes differences by age, career stage, country income, discipline, and open access support, showing patterns tied to access privilege and norms.[[1]](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02666669221144429)[[2]](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/02666669221144429?download=true)\n\nResearchers prefer legal paths but turn to piracy when needed, especially where institutional access lacks. Ethical objections grow with seniority and in certain fields, while unawareness limits uptake elsewhere.\n\n## Key quotes\nNone available from accessible content.\n\n## Why it matters\nPaywalls limit scholarly knowledge flow, affecting global research equity and collaboration. Researchers in lower-income settings or early careers face more barriers, relying on piracy despite risks. Watch open access policies and piracy site pressures for shifts in access models.[[3]](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366201869_Jumping_over_the_paywall_Strategies_and_motivations_for_scholarly_piracy_and_other_alternatives)","hashtags":["#scholarlycommunication","#openaccess","#paywalls","#research","#piracy","#scihub"],"sources":[{"url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02666669221144429","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/02666669221144429?download=true","title":""},{"url":"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366201869_Jumping_over_the_paywall_Strategies_and_motivations_for_scholarly_piracy_and_other_alternatives","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-08T06:39:10.232Z"}