Table 3 Mechanisms through which to retrieve full-text systematic reviews free of charge or at little cost once identified through database searches
From: SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP) 7: Finding systematic reviews
| Mechanism | Comments |
|---|---|
| HINARI | Who is eligible to use it? |
| • Institutions in selected low- and middle-income countries have either free access or low-cost access. To check if an institution is already registered or if an institution is located in a country that is eligible for free or low-cost access, go to: HINARI | |
| How can it be accessed? | |
| • An institution must register and all staff are then given unlimited access | |
| • Alternatively if a computer is recognised as being based in an eligible country, users may access HighwireFreeAccessforDevelopingCountries (which includes HINARI and other selected resources) | |
| What resources are provided for research results? | |
| • A scientific abstract and full-text article for all included journals | |
| Cochrane Library | Who is eligible to use it? |
| • Institutions in selected countries have free access - to check if a country (or region) is covered by a programme for low-income countries or by a subscription, go to: CochraneLibrary | |
| How can it be accessed? | |
| • Country-or region-specific access details are available at the same site | |
| What resources are provided for research results? | |
| • A scientific abstract, lay summary, and full-text review for all Cochrane reviews, as well a summary of some form for the three most relevant constituent databases described in Table 1 | |
| Note | |
| • The Cochrane Library can also be accessed through HINARI | |
| Journals | Who is eligible to use them? |
| • Anyone | |
| How can they be accessed? | |
| • Websites of open-access journal publishers | |
| - BioMedCentral (journals beginning with BMC and select others) | |
| - OpenJournalsPublishing (many journals beginning with 'South African' and select others) | |
| - PublicLibraryofSciences (journals beginning with PLoS) | |
| - SciELO(ScientificElectronicLibraryOnline) (many journals from Latin America and the Caribbean) | |
| • Directories of open-access and/or free journals | |
| - DirectoryofOpenAccessJournals | |
| - FreeMedicalJournals | |
| - OpenJ-Gate | |
| • Repositories through which journal publishers make available articles (often after a defined time period) | |
| - PubMedCentral | |
| - BiolineInternational (journals from Brazil, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe) | |
| What resources are provided for research results? | |
| • A scientific abstract and full-text article for all included journals |