Sci-Hub Sci-Net

Summary

I regularly receive requests from Sci-Hub users to help them download some paper that cannot be opened through Sci-Hub. The number of such requests increased in the past two years, since Sci-Hub database updates were paused. The opposite also happens: users ask whether they can upload to Sci-Hub some paper that they have bought or downloaded via university subscription. Sci-Hub was never designed to accept uploads from users. From the very beginning, it was implemented as an autonomous system that scans and downloads research papers from various universities ‐ without human in the loop. This automatic method turned out to be quite effective, and Sci-Hub was able to reach coverage > 90% in its best days. However, even then some paper remained unreachable. Now there exists a platform where users can request unavailable papers, and upload them: sci-net.xyz The user interface is simple: an input box where a DOI of the requested paper should be inserted. Once the user clicks the button, Sci-Net automatically checks if the requested paper is open access or already available on Sci-Hub. If the paper is found, the link to it will be displayed. If not, then user will be able to create a new request. On the index page, the list of requests is shown, that can be filtered by subjects and publisher. If you happen to have access to some paper in the list, you can click on the request and upload the PDF. There is a nice built-in functionality to remove watermarks from PDF to hide the university where paper was downloaded. That way Sci-Net protects the anonymity of the uploader. The 'Library' section will show all your requests and uploads, and in the 'Upload' section you can contribute your papers to the platform: just drop the PDF file and the system will automatically detect the DOI. If the DOI is not available yet on Sci-Net / Sci-Hub / open access, the file will get uploaded. The article then will become accessible to everyone by URL sci-net.xyz/DOI including people who a...