OARE Module 6A: E-journal, E-books and Internet Resources: Background; Free E-journals Access

This document outlines a training module on accessing free e-journals and related internet resources in environmental and health fields. It explains grey literature, its formats, and discovery challenges, then defines open-access models (gold, green, delayed, hybrid) and fee policies, with cautions on predatory publishers and how to verify journals. It lists journal-selection and plagiarism-checking tools, and points to Retraction Watch and a notable mass-retraction case. It demonstrates practical routes to free articles via the Directory of Open Access Journals, PubMed’s “Free full text” filter, and the Unpaywall browser plug-in, noting benefits and limits. An appendix introduces DSpace for building institutional repositories and illustrates repository structure.