How to – Add an Unpaywall General Electronic Service to Alma, for Open Access links in Primo
Background
- Unpaywall is a free and non-profit service which harvests Open Access Articles with DOIs from reputable services and platforms such as Crossref and DOAJ
- Utilising this service in Primo means that we can offer an additional pathway to Open Access content for all users (both guest or authenticated)
- We also fulfill a broader university strategic goal of facilitating access to and promoting Open Access content
- Adding this General Electronic Service (GES) to Primo, via Alma configuration, gives users a chance for immediate access, rather than submitting a document delivery request if the content is not available or if our other links do not provide access for any other reason
- Our Document Delivery staff will also be able to utilise this quick link in Primo, speeding up their initial processes for mediated document delivery requests
- The label of 'Look for Open Access version' was chosen specifically to avoid setting up a user expectation that success is guaranteed, as the link may sometimes lead to content which is not actually freely available. This is due to the nature of the OpenURL functioning solely to build a link to possible content via Unpaywall, rather than preemptively checking for available Open Access content prior to the link being displayed to a user
- Update: An OTB Unpaywall service was introduced by Ex Libris in the November 2019 Alma Release, which has a key benefit of functioning by API call which first checks if there is Open Access content prior to displaying the link, unlike the GES. However, sites may choose to maintain this GES rather than moving to the OTB, as UQ has done, for several bugs yet unresolved as of end 2019, and also for the undesirable but expected 'by design' behaviour of the link displaying only in View It rather than both View It and Get It, which removes the vital aspect of appearing in the 'no holdings' Get It
Expected display
- In the Full Record, under Get It Request options or View It Additional Services
- Both directly in Primo and via the Primo Services Page for users on external platforms such as PubMed or Google Scholar
- Label: Look for Open Access version
- The link will appear for records which
- are not Books
- have a DOI
- use the Alma Link Resolver
Details
- Configuration time: 15 minutes
- Configuration difficulty: Very low
Systems Specs
- Alma and Primo New UI on Primo Multi-tenant Back Office
- There is no configuration required in Primo, but it is mentioned due to the variation in display for Primo BO as opposed to Primo VE
- For Primo VE sites, see the Developer Network guide by Laura Guy here: https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/blog/Adding-an-oadoi-dot-org-GES-link-to-Primo/
Alma Configuration Menus
- Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Discovery Interface Display Logic > General Electronic Services
- Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Discovery Interface Display Logic > Display Logic Rules
- Only necessary if you choose to hide the links in some scenarios
Setting up your General Electronic Service
- Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Discovery Interface Display Logic > General Electronic Services
All these settings are up to you, in terms of how you want to display this link, but make sure the URL Template is http://oadoi.org/{rft.doi}
Additional Configuration for Display Logic Rules
Configuration Menu > Fulfillment > Discovery Interface Display Logic > Display Logic Rules
This is only necessary if you choose to hide the links for any other reason, such as when you have Full Text available.
We chose not to do this because we’d like the service to be available to all users who visit Primo who may not be active members of our Library, and we also like to have strong visibility of our commitment to Open Access.
Example outcomes in Primo Back Office on New UI
Additional information
- Unpaywall: https://unpaywall.org/
- Adding a general electronic service: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/060Alma-Primo_Integration/060Configuring_Alma_Delivery_System/120Adding_a_General_Electronic_Service
- Discovery Interface Display Logic: https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Product_Documentation/010Alma_Online_Help_(English)/030Fulfillment/080Configuring_Fulfillment/100Discovery_Interface_Display_Logic
Feedback or suggestions
Stacey van Groll
Discovery and Access Coordinator
University of Queensland