Back in March 2020, we launched GetFTR so that discovery tools (such as Mendeley and Dimensions), could alert researchers to content that their institution had made available to them, via subscriptions or open access.

Initially, the service started with 5 publishers providing real-time entitlement checks, and supplying smart-links to the latest version of full-text. By the end of the year, more publishers joined, making their content easier to discover and access, and 10 discovery tools started displaying GetFTR smart-links on article pages and in search results. CHORUS also came onboard using GetFTR to support open research compliance.

In 2021, as more publishers and discovery tools partnered with GetFTR, we provided them with tools to streamline onboarding so that researchers could benefit from even more GetFTR links. The same year, Publishers started to use GetFTR to signal which article references the researcher was entitled to read, improving onward journeys.

In 2022, ResearchGate and ScienceDirect started providing third-party content on their platforms, and selected GetFTR to check entitlements. GetFTR also recorded its 5 billionth entitlement check, which gives you a sense of the scale of the service.

Recent developments

Last year, we launched the GetFTR Open Access and Free service, providing access to the most up-to-date version of all open and free content registered with Crossref, including DOIs in hybrid journals. We also launched the GetFTR Browser Extension which expands the number of discovery tools that display GetFTR links. One thing we have been consistently asked about is whether GetFTR works with Google Scholar and PubMed and now we can say yes it does! Both the uptake and feedback has been good – we have seen a significant increase in entitlement checks since launch which we believe will result in increased usage for our publishers. 

What’s to come?

This year we will further increase the number of GetFTR links displayed, as the GetFTR browser extension will work for any DOI on any page that’s being viewed. We are also enhancing the GetFTR service to include information that supports research integrity, informing the researcher when an article has been retracted or updated.