AWARENESS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCI-HUB AMONG DENTAL AND MEDICAL STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

Background: Access to research papers is crucial for any domain, including medicine and
dentistry, as it supports evidence-based practice, fosters academic growth, and enables the
advancement of scientific knowledge. Sci-Hub, a widely known platform known as a
shadow library website that provides free access to millions of research papers, has emerged
as a significant source for accessing research papers, and the founder of sci-hub is hailed as a
robin- hood of science. Aim: This cross-sectional study aims to assess the awareness of SciHub among dental, medical, and other biomedical researchers. An online survey was
conducted to gather data on participants' familiarity with Sci-Hub, its usage patterns,
perceived ease of access, and opinions on its legality and impact on the scientific
community. Additionally, the study explored participants' awareness of the founder of SciHub, Alexandra Elbakyan, and their views on the legal challenges she faces. The survey also
addressed the participants' experiences with difficulties in accessing research papers, beliefs
on the benefits of open access, suggested improvements to the current publishing system,
and any obstacles encountered in publishing their own research papers. Materials and
Methods: This study utilized a questionnaire-based survey to collect data on the experiences
and opinions of researchers regarding difficulties accessing research papers, the impact of
open access, and suggested changes to the current publishing system. The survey was
distributed via WhatsApp, resulting in a total of 109 participants. The questionnaire
consisted of 20 questions categorized as basic information, publication challenges, and
awareness about sci-hub. The questions delved in to the participants' experiences with
accessing research papers, beliefs about open access, suggested changes to the publishing
system, difficulties faced in publishing their own research papers, and most importantly the
power of sci-hub for research. Results: The results of the study indicated that a significant
portion of participants (56.9%) reported facing difficulties accessing research papers
frequently, while 40.4% reported facing difficulties occasionally. Regarding the belief in the
impact of open access, the majority of participants (92.7%) strongly agreed that open access
to research papers can advance scientific knowledge and improve public health. When asked
about changes to the current publishing system, a considerable percentage of participants
(45.9%) suggested that ‘all journals should become open access,’ while 11.0% proposed a
reduction in article processing fees. Notably, 94.5% of participants who had published
research papers reported difficulties accessing the necessary literature, and 34.9% faced