user222: When answering questions on this site, it is helpful to be able to read the primary literature.
Is there any legal way to access papers behind a paywall?
Can we add the best answer(s), or a pointer to them, to the FAQ?

user691: As per a request by the inquirer,
I do not think that discussing of such matters as (most probably) illegal trade of paid subscription content is appropriate here.
There were good alternatives presented, which don't involve illegal actions.

user66: Considering the fact that most of the SO.Biology users are either students or University employees (or both, like me :) ), it is often not a problem to get access to a certain publication -- the university library has a subscription which is available through your IP. PubMed and other search engines can detect your subscription and show you the paper availability directly in the search results.
Nonetheless, the chances that the person who asked the question or who found the thread using search engine doesn't have the same level of access to scientific publications is rather high. This is why I am trying to cite only those papers which are generally free and hence can be immediately linked from the answer. Often you find reviews not available, whereas single papers referenced by the review articles are.

user222: I think my answer to a similar question at parenting.se may be useful:
Here are some options:

Search from PubMed Central's free archive of journals (also try the UK PubMed)
MayoClinic has reputable summaries of medical research on its website
search google for the article title in quotes + filetype:pdf (see first link in this example)  
search google scholar, and when the article you want shows up, click the 'all N versions' link on the bottom right of the result - one may be in pdf format  
Email the corresponding author and ask for a copy by pdf.
ask your librarian for help obtaining an article
write your congressperson and demand that federally funded research be made freely available


222: <p>When answering questions on this site, it is helpful to be able to read the primary literature.</p>

<p>Is there any legal way to access papers behind a paywall?</p>

<p>Can we add the best answer(s), or a pointer to them, to the FAQ?</p>
 691: <p>As per a request by the inquirer,</p>

<p>I do not think that discussing of such matters as (most probably) illegal trade of paid subscription content is appropriate here.</p>

<p>There were good alternatives presented, which don't involve illegal actions.</p>
 66: <p>Considering the fact that most of the SO.Biology users are either students or University employees (or both, like me :) ), it is often not a problem to get access to a certain publication -- the university library has a subscription which is available through your IP. PubMed and other search engines can detect your subscription and show you the paper availability directly in the search results.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, the chances that the person who asked the question or who found the thread using search engine doesn't have the same level of access to scientific publications is rather high. This is why I am trying to cite only those papers which are generally free and hence can be immediately linked from the answer. Often you find reviews not available, whereas single papers referenced by the review articles are.</p>
 222: <p>I think my answer to a similar question at <a href="https://parenting.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/138/is-there-anything-we-can-do-to-get-better-access-to-research/139">parenting.se</a> may be useful:</p>

<p>Here are some options:</p>

<ol>
<li>Search from <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PubMed Central's</a> free archive of journals (also try the <a href="http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&amp;sa=N&amp;tab=sw#sclient=psy&amp;hl=en&amp;site=webhp&amp;source=hp&amp;q=Relationships+among+parenting+knowledge%2C+quality+of+stimulation+in+the+home+and+infant+development+filetype%3Apdf&amp;aq=f&amp;aqi=&amp;aql=&amp;oq=&amp;pbx=1&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&amp;fp=e8e7ddf4dbcd33f2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">UK PubMed</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MayoClinic</a> has reputable summaries of medical research on its website</li>
<li>search google for the article title in quotes + filetype:pdf (see first link in <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;ion=1#hl=en&amp;newwindow=1&amp;safe=off&amp;sclient=psy-ab&amp;q=%22Nuclear%20winter%3A%20global%20consequences%20of%20multiple%20nuclear%20explosions%22%20filetype%3Apdf&amp;oq=&amp;aq=&amp;aqi=&amp;aql=&amp;gs_l=&amp;pbx=1&amp;fp=5d409e11edb055e4&amp;ion=1&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&amp;biw=1080&amp;bih=1834" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> example)  </li>
<li>search google scholar, and when the article you want shows up, click the 'all N versions' link on the bottom right of the result - one may be in pdf format  </li>
<li>Email the corresponding author and ask for a copy by pdf.</li>
<li>ask your librarian for help obtaining an article</li>
<li>write your congressperson and demand that federally funded research be made freely available</li>
</ol>
