So how did researchers like Elbakyan ever survive before Sci-Hub? Elbakyan explains, “Before Sci-Hub, this problem was solved manually for years! For example, students would go to an online forum where other researchers communicate, and request papers there; other people would respond to the request.” This practice is widespread even today, with researchers even at rich Western institutions now routinely forced to email the authors of papers directly, asking for a copy by email, wasting the time of everyone involved and holding back the progress of research in the process.

Meet the Robin Hood of Science
http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/a-pirate-bay-for-science

The tale of how one researcher has made nearly every scientific paper ever published available for free to anyone, anywhere in the world.