Post #3471916

2026-06-29 12:00 UTC

That said, I feel like there's a significant overlap between the set of people who want to read academic papers and the set of people who find the idea of cold emailing a stranger about their work cripplingly anxiety inducing.

Replies (4)

@fbarton@infosec.exchange 2026-06-29 12:29

@BathysphereHat@mastodon.online very true! and for bonus points, if you have questions after reading it, ask them! it shows that (a) you read it, and at least tried to understand it, and (b) that you value their work, and their expertise

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@lumiukko@metalhead.club 2026-06-29 12:40

@BathysphereHat@mastodon.online This is an important point. Mailing them means exposing yourself and besides being anxious about it, it may not be a good idea, depending on the context. Science is not clear cut. While it may be curiosity and scientific advancement that drives people objectively, there are other interests at play, which puts up barriers. And that is in fact okay, to a degree. That people need to ask for research like that should be the rare exception and we have to continue the fight for open access being the default. So that knowledge and insight can flow.

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@ljrk@todon.eu 2026-06-29 15:03

@BathysphereHat@mastodon.online Honestly, if I ever venture back into academia, I'd try to have a website that out-SEOs the journals and has a very prominent "request private copy" button there, as long as I can get legally away with it lol

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@SRLevine@neuromatch.social 2026-06-30 04:58

@BathysphereHat@mastodon.online If someone wants a paper and it is slightly less anxiety inducing to post on here there are some of us who monitor the #ICanHazPDF hashtag. I think most of us have institutional access, and mine at least is pretty good (for now, who knows budget things in the future, etc).

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