What is the problem we’re trying to solve? Researchers are not always able to easily make use of the resources their institution has made available to them. When presented with a plethora of links in a discovery tool, researchers may inadvertently access an earlier version of content, even when their institution has subscribed to the full-text. Earlier this year librarians were invited to test a new freely available tool - the GetFTR Browser Extension - which makes use of the GetFTR entitlements checking service. Ahead of development, GetFTR spoke to researchers who said: • It’s not always clear when using a discovery tool which link takes them to the latest version of content • They’re often unaware which version they’ve accessed • It’s often quicker to access content from illicit sites How does the GetFTR Browser Extension solve this? When installed, the researcher enters their institutions so that subscriptions can be checked when using popular discovery tools such as Google Scholar or PubMed. Where their institution subscribes, or content is open or free, GetFTR buttons are presented to researchers which take them to the latest version, with minimal effort. The GetFTR browser extension works by leveraging real-time, highly accurate subscription information from publishers to provide researchers with the most up-to-date version of an article as soon as the subscription is set up, indicating which institution has provided access. Unlike other entitlement checking services it provides checks at the article level, also covering OA articles in hybrid journals. How can librarians help? While GetFTR can assist researchers in accessing the most up-to-date scholarly content, it's important to note that it relies on the participation of publishers. Librarians can play a role in encouraging publishers to sign up to ensure comprehensive coverage, and are invited to promote the GetFTR browser extension to their researcher community.
