Aaron — Public Knowledge
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Overview
Aaron — Public Knowledge Unblocker
Hit a paywall on an academic paper? Aaron checks if a free, legal open access version exists and shows you a link — right on the page.
HOW IT WORKS
When you visit an academic publisher or repository, Aaron extracts the paper's DOI and queries the OpenAlex database for open access copies. If one exists, a small panel appears with direct links to the free version.
Works across major academic publishers and any site with a DOI.
FEATURES
- Automatic DOI detection on publisher pages
- Queries OpenAlex (open, CC0-licensed database) for open access versions
- Direct links to free PDFs and repository copies
- Session caching — revisiting a paper is instant
- Dark, non-intrusive panel that stays out of your way
PRIVACY
- Zero data collection
- No accounts, no API keys, no tracking
- No analytics or telemetry
- The only network request is to OpenAlex's public API
- All processing happens locally in your browser
Free and open source. Named in memory of Aaron Swartz.
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