STAR: supporting researchers in resource-constrained countries
Special Terms for Authors & Researchers (STAR) is a unique Taylor & Francis initiative that provides eligible individual authors and researchers based in many resource-constrained countries with free access to articles from our leading journals.
STAR supports researchers in eligible countries who don’t have access to the resources of a university or research institution, including independent researchers, retired academics, and professionals working for NGOs.
The sign-up link will only appear on the page if you are accessing the website from an eligible country. If you are accessing the page from an ineligible country, you will not be able to sign up for this program. If you sign up for the program and pass our checks, you will receive a unique link to access your 50 allowances.
To qualify for STAR you must be:
Without institutional access and based in one of the eligible STAR countries
Actively involved in research or currently authoring a publication
Willing to share your researcher or author journey and engage in STAR communications
The STAR initiative is exclusively accessible to authors and researchers based in the list of eligible countries available here. Taylor & Francis reserves the right to request proof of your location and to suspend access and/or take any legal action we consider appropriate where authors and/or researchers who are not based in one of the eligible countries fraudulently register for STAR.
What you need to know
Those in eligible countries can register for one token, per person, per year (check if STAR is available in your region).
Eligible users requesting access will be sent a link to activate a unique token consisting of 50 STAR allowances.
When you use allowances to access an article, you will be able to view that particular article for 12 months from the date you first use the allowances.
Allowances do not all need to be used at the same time.
You will require a TFO (Taylor & Francis Online) account to add the token to. If you do not currently have a TFO account, you will be prompted to create an account.
STAR enables researchers to:
Enrich findings and update references.
Achieve higher levels of article acceptance.
Participate in and contribute to the worldwide knowledge community.
Access key research findings to help inform real-world decision making and have an impact on communities.
Conducting research and preparing work for publication can be challenging, not least in resource-constrained contexts. STAR is here to help, as well as a host of resources on our Author Services site.
Get your guide
Get practical advice to find the best place to publish your research.
Learn more about the ways we’re supporting researchers in resource-constrained countries – from supporting access to research for eligible low-income institutions through Research4Life to running author and peer reviewer workshops tailored to the needs of local researchers.
What are the benefits of open access publishing?
There’s increasing pressure on researchers to show the societal impact of their research. Open access can help your work reach new readers, beyond those with easy access to a research library.
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