Troy LibAnswers

Never pay to access an article.
If you are asked to pay, use the Library’s Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service instead. It’s free for TROY users!
📌 You can find ILL under the "Services" menu on the Library home page.

Why Does This Happen?

There are two common reasons:

1. You're seeing a login or paywall because you're on a publisher's site.

• Some databases (like Sage Journals, ScienceDirect, and Wiley) show paid content alongside free content.
• Even though TROY subscribes to many journals, we do not subscribe to everything in these platforms.
• If you’re prompted to create or use a personal login, it’s not for TROY access—it’s for users who pay independently.

2. You're using Discovery Search, which sometimes links to non-subscribed content.

• The Library’s Discovery Search tool is powerful but not perfect.
• It searches across dozens of databases at once, and sometimes sends you to a publisher’s page for an article that looks available—but isn’t fully accessible.
• This is most common with:
  • Cochrane Library
  • Emerald Insight
  • Project Muse
  • Sage Journals
  • ScienceDirect
  • Taylor & Francis Online
  • Wiley Online Library

These databases may show abstracts (summaries), but not always the full text unless TROY subscribes to that specific journal.

What Should You Do Instead?

If you reach a paywall or a login screen not tied to TROY:

• Don’t pay.
• Don’t create a personal account unless you’re saving citations (and even then, it won’t give you full text access).
• Submit an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request.

We’ll get the article for you—usually within a few days—and at no cost to you.

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