Many journals are published that do not require a subscription or a log in to read. They are called Open Access journals because their contents are freely available on the web to be read by anyone with internet access and a computer.
To search high quality, peer-reviewed, open access journal publications, search through the Directory of Open Access Journals. This database can be used to search for journals and individual articles, similarly to a library database.
Still not finding what you need? Is there one specific journal or article that you remember using that you wish you could still access? Alumni are also able to find journal articles that are not published open access on the web:
Institutional repositories are usually managed by college and university libraries and contain scholarship produced by their campus community. These repositories are open access and serve to provide greater access to their communities published research. They contain published versions of articles, post-prints (peer-reviewed final drafts of articles) and preprints (first drafts of articles before peer-review).
Preprint repositories are another useful resource for locating open access versions of published articles. Preprint repositories serve to circulate scientific data and research more quickly than the publication process allows in order to share the most up-to-date scientific advancements with the research community, as well as receive feedback from a wider audience. This allows for scientific progress to continue developing while articles are vetted and published through the peer-review system.
Note that preprints are "first drafts" of articles -- these articles usually have not been peer-reviewed yet and will differ slightly from the final published article.
For an even more complete list of preprint repositories, check out this list of disciplinary repositories.
Works in the public domain may be used freely without the permission of the former copyright owner. A work of authorship is in the "public domain" if it is no longer under copyright protection or if it failed to meet the requirements for copyright protection. Works in the public domain include the following:
The following resources all contain public domain materials that you can access, download, and share for free. However, not every work on these websites will be free of copyright restrictions. Always read the copyright information for each individual work to ensure that it is in the public domain.
For even more public domain resources, visit the Wikipedia list of Public Domain Resources.
The following tools can be helpful in finding resources that may be available in your local library or around the world.
Find freely available health and medical related information that you can trust.
For business professionals seeking industry information, these resources are freely available and do not require a login:
For information about even more industries, the Bureau of Labor Statistics website contains many more options including manufacturing, transportation and utilities, and information.