---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was working on my research…"
description: "\"When I was working on my research project, I found out that all research papers I needed for work were paywalled. I was a student in Kazakhstan at the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/alexandra-elbakyan-21024_anything_when-i-was-working-on-my-research-projec_1409470.jpg"
---

#  When I was working on my research project, I found out…

![“When I was working on my research project, I found out that all research papers I needed for work were paywalled. I was a student in Kazakhstan at the time and our university was not subscribed to anything.” quote by Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/alexandra-elbakyan-21024_anything_when-i-was-working-on-my-research-projec_1409470.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/alexandra-elbakyan-21024_anything_when-i-was-working-on-my-research-projec_1409470.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/alexandra-elbakyan-21024_anything_when-i-was-working-on-my-research-projec_1409470.jpg)

> “When I was working on my research project, I found out that all research papers I needed for work were paywalled. I was a student in Kazakhstan at the time and our university was not subscribed to anything.”

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He discovers paywalls block essential research, highlighting access inequity for students.

**In simple terms:** Paywalls block needed research.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for open access to knowledge.

Themes

education equity information access

Mood

concerned determined

Type

activist informational

When to use this quote

- student research
- library budgeting
- policy reform

Key Concepts

Open science paywall barriers

Questions to Reflect On

- How can institutions improve access?
- What alternatives exist for paywalled papers?

A Different Perspective

Open access may face legal challenges.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Papers Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papers-needed-4962951/) [Paywalled Student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paywalled-student-4962948/) [Project](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [University Subscribed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university-subscribed-4962950/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Paywalled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-paywalled-4962949/) [Working Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-research-4962952/)

## Related quotes

> [When I was a student in Kazakhstan University, I did not have access to any research papers. These papers I needed for my research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/when-i-was-a-student-in-kazakhstan-university-i-did-not-have-access/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I've been a fan of Adele since her first project.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/i-ve-been-a-fan-of-adele-since-her-first-project/)

[Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/)

> [There was a little movie I did called 'Women In Trouble' that a friend of mine made. That, to me, was a very satisfying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-clarke/there-was-a-little-movie-i-did-called-women-in-trouble-that-a-friend/)

[Sarah Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-clarke/)

> [I changed my mind because of a scene between Howard Cunningham and Richie. The father-son situation was written so movingly, I fell in love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bosley/i-changed-my-mind-because-of-a-scene-between-howard-cunningham-and/)

[Tom Bosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bosley/)

> [The main thing that's important to me is getting to do whatever project it is the way that I do what I do, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-guest/the-main-thing-that-s-important-to-me-is-getting-to-do-whatever/)

[Christopher Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-guest/)

> [The producing thing has come quite naturally to me. I feel like for directing, I would like to be more technically-savvy. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/the-producing-thing-has-come-quite-naturally-to-me-i-feel-like-for/)

[Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/)

> [I am hands-on in any project that I am associated with. I just don't want to put my face or name and lend it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-am-hands-on-in-any-project-that-i-am-associated-with-i-just-don-t/)

[Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/)

> [How does a project get to be a year late? One day at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-does-a-project-get-to-be-a-year-late-one-day-at-a-time/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When I'm working in finite serials, I always think in terms of the entire book rather than the individual episode because, by far, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-ellis/when-i-m-working-in-finite-serials-i-always-think-in-terms-of-the/)

[Warren Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-ellis/)

> [If you're going to immerse yourself in a project for three years, why not stake out a chunk of the world that is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/if-you-re-going-to-immerse-yourself-in-a-project-for-three-years-why/)

[Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/)

> [“project starts to go off target the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-moore/project-starts-to-go-off-target-the/)

[Simon Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-moore/)

> [I think - in general, I don't think I've been involved in a single movie that turned out the way I anticipated it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-think-in-general-i-don-t-think-i-ve-been-involved-in-a-single-movie/)

[Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/)

> [I've just always loved really good projects. The things that draw me into a new project have very little to do with genre and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel-staite/i-ve-just-always-loved-really-good-projects-the-things-that-draw-me/)

[Jewel Staite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel-staite/)

> [For modeling, you have to be photogenic, but to be a VJ, you actually project your whole personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laila-rouass/for-modeling-you-have-to-be-photogenic-but-to-be-a-vj-you-actually/)

[Laila Rouass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laila-rouass/)

> [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

## More by Alexandra Elbakyan

> [There is the possibility to be suddenly arrested for hacking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/there-is-the-possibility-to-be-suddenly-arrested-for-hacking/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I want to collect the entire range of scientific and educational literature and make it accessible to the whole world. Just like Google Books,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/i-want-to-collect-the-entire-range-of-scientific-and-educational/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I like their slogan 'making uncommon knowledge common' very much, but as far as I can tell Elsevier has not mastered this job well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/i-like-their-slogan-making-uncommon-knowledge-common-very-much-but-as/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [Journal paywalls are an example of something that works in the reverse direction, making communication less open and efficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/journal-paywalls-are-an-example-of-something-that-works-in-the/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I know there are some reasons to suspect me: after all, I have education in computer security and was a hobby hacker in teenage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/i-know-there-are-some-reasons-to-suspect-me-after-all-i-have/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I could obtain any paper by pirating it, so I solved many requests and people always were very grateful for my help. After that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/i-could-obtain-any-paper-by-pirating-it-so-i-solved-many-requests-and/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [Providing free access to research papers on websites like Sci-Hub breaks so-called copyright law that was made to taboo free distribution of information on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/providing-free-access-to-research-papers-on-websites-like-sci-hub/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I have a lot of supporters but they are not well organized. They send me donations but for the most part, their commitment is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/i-have-a-lot-of-supporters-but-they-are-not-well-organized-they-send/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [All content should be copied without restriction. But for education and research, copyright laws are especially damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/all-content-should-be-copied-without-restriction-but-for-education/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I started a crowdfunding campaign on Sci-Hub to buy additional drives, and soon had my own copy of the database collected by LibGen, around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/i-started-a-crowdfunding-campaign-on-sci-hub-to-buy-additional-drives/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [There should be no obstacles to accessing knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/there-should-be-no-obstacles-to-accessing-knowledge/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [When I was a student in Kazakhstan University, I did not have access to any research papers. These papers I needed for my research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/when-i-was-a-student-in-kazakhstan-university-i-did-not-have-access/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [Science should belong to scientists and not the publishers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/science-should-belong-to-scientists-and-not-the-publishers/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [Scientific knowledge belongs to humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/scientific-knowledge-belongs-to-humanity/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

> [I perceive Sci-Hub as a practical side of my research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/i-perceive-sci-hub-as-a-practical-side-of-my-research/)

[Alexandra Elbakyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

[Explore all 30 Alexandra Elbakyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/)

## More Anything quotes

> [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/)

[Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/)

> [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/)

[Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/)

> [Comfort food is really anything you want at that time. That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/)

[Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/)

> [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/)

[Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/)

> [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/)

[Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/)

> [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/)

[Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/)

> [We live in such a special time when literally anything we can think of is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/we-live-in-such-a-special-time-when-literally-anything-we-can-think/)

[Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/)

> [You know, I'm from Baltimore; nobody has anything. When somebody had talent, I was hiring my uncle, my cousin, you know? Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/)

[Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/)

> [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/)

[Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/)

> [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/)

[Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/)

> [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/)

[Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/)

> [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/)

[Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/)

> [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/)

[Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/)

> [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/)

[Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/)

[Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I was working on my research project, I found out that all research papers I needed for work were paywalled. I was a student in Kazakhstan at the time and our university was not subscribed to anything.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alexandra Elbakyan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/when-i-was-working-on-my-research-project-i-found-out-that-all/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Anything"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/when-i-was-working-on-my-research-project-i-found-out-that-all/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/alexandra-elbakyan-21024_anything_when-i-was-working-on-my-research-projec_1409470.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/alexandra-elbakyan-21024_anything_when-i-was-working-on-my-research-projec_1409470.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/alexandra-elbakyan-21024_anything_when-i-was-working-on-my-research-projec_1409470.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I was working on my research project, I found out that all research papers I needed for work were…” — Alexandra Elbakyan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alexandra Elbakyan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elbakyan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I was working on my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/when-i-was-working-on-my-research-project-i-found-out-that-all/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elbakyan/when-i-was-working-on-my-research-project-i-found-out-that-all/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
