How can I find academic articles through Academia.edu?

Academia.edu functions as an academic social networking platform where scholars upload and share research papers. You can access both preprints and published articles uploaded by authors, often freely or after requesting access. Effectively finding articles requires utilizing the search bar prominently located at the top of the Academia.edu homepage. Enter relevant keywords, author names, or specific paper titles to initiate searches. The platform offers filters to refine results by academic discipline, publication date, or institution associated with the uploader. Signing up for a free account enables saving searches, setting alerts for new uploads matching specific queries, and requesting access to papers where full text isn't publicly available. However, content availability depends entirely on author uploads, so coverage is incomplete compared to comprehensive databases. Finding articles on Academia.edu facilitates direct discovery of researchers' self-archived work, including preprints and open-access versions. This aids in tracking the specific publications of scholars in your field, identifying emerging research trends, and accessing papers potentially behind paywalls elsewhere, though institutional library subscriptions often provide wider access. Setting alerts makes monitoring updates convenient. Remember to use precise keywords and leverage disciplinary filters for optimal results, using Academia.edu as a valuable supplemental discovery resource.