Legal researchers and other information professionals are very good at finding elusive journal articles and other information resources. We are often asked to locate a copy of an older scholarly article, a fee-based piece from an expensive resource, or a story from now-defunct regional newspaper, for example. Wondering how librarians approach those requests? Here are eleven tips and strategies:

1. Put your request in the hands of your capable librarian who will use experience, networking, and resources to find the item for you.
2. Check your library catalog or one-search system or databases to see if the periodical is included in-plan or otherwise subscribed to by your organization. You may be surprised to see how much is bundled in your subscriptions.
3. Search your document management system. A colleague may have previously ordered or otherwise acquired the item for another matter. It’s a long shot but it is worth trying.
4. If time is of the essence and the article is readily available on a pay-as-you-go basis from the publisher or an aggregator, consider buying it. Sure, you may pay $40+ for it, but time is money and you’ll have a legitimate copy. Many large publishers lock down their access so a fee-for-use might be your only quick option.
5. Search for the article via Google Scholar. It might surface in pdf format and not just as a citation.
6. Look at ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Mendeley, and, eventually, Scholarly Hub. These platforms are generally created for scholarly purposes and cross-disciplinary sharing but you or your info pro may find that the article you need is freely available.
7. Check worldcat.org for local libraries that hold the publication. Perhaps a nearby university or public library will provide the article or acquire it for you via interlibrary loan.
8. Consider academic document delivery services like WTS and DartDoc and for-profit providers. They will find a source if the item is not in their own collections.
9. More authors are publishing via open access journals and services. It’s somewhat possible that you will be able to bypass a paywall and find what you need on open access or free sites like the Directory of Open Access Journals, SSRN, PubMed, Unpaywall, and Science Open.
10. Ask your professional network for assistance. Colleagues will know of sources specific to your field or practice area.
11. Request the article from the publisher. They might provide you a courtesy copy out of the goodness of their hearts or the hope of gaining you as a customer.