Academia Reviews

Academia.edu - Share research

academia.edu
2.52
50 reviews
Average Rating
Based on 50 user experiences

Rated 2.52 out of 5 by 50 Happy Customers

18%
10%
18%
14%
40%
All 5 ★ 4 ★ 3 ★ 2 ★ 1 ★ 😊 Positive 😐 Neutral 😞 Negative Reset Filter
AI Review Summary Based on 50 reviews

Multiple reviews cite issues with unauthorized charges and difficult cancellation processes. Some users also report problems with spam emails and flawed name recognition. Conversely, other reviews praise the platform for useful features like paper downloads and helpful customer support. The site is also described as valuable for academic exposure.

What customers love
  • Helpful customer service
  • Useful for research
  • Easy paper download
  • Effective academic networking
  • Free repository access
Common concerns
  • Unauthorized charges
  • Spam emails
  • Flawed name matching
  • Difficult cancellation
  • Misleading subscription

Last updated 2 weeks ago

J

How many days must wait for my refund

How many days must wait for my refund Please tell me I have sent many emails
M

Got my money back

They actually responded and refunded my money earlier than expected Informing them about the mishap regarding the purchase within the span of 30 days worked for me so I m pretty contented
M

I like the ability to download papers

I like the ability to download papers I have read reviews that claim Academia is a scam I have yet to experience any negative situations I am a retired geologist and still enjoy reading papers on mineral deposits
S

sloppy coding or some kind of scam

I suppose I accept the Faustian bargain of academic social media But there s a few things that really annoy me about Academia - the first being that there is no obvious way to contact us - not an encouraging sign But the thing that really irks me is that I get stuff pushed at me that I m supposed to claim and as often as not its a review I ve written but they don t distinguish So I can t claim the review and I m not going to claim authorship for say a book by Daniel Dennett Same goes for PhDs I was on committee for And today I accepted a 2008 paper pushed at me because it sounded like something I wrote and webpage offered me nothing except the title turned out it was written by someone I worked closely with But COME ON academia if you know the title you know the author so is this just sloppy coding or some kind of scam Worse I dug in to delete it and the site has now stalled in the delete for nearly an hour with two tries Again is this just sloppy coding or some kind of scam
C

Getting papers from academics sharing the same name

I am signed up to the premium service Unfortunately I share a name with other very proactive researchers Each day I get notifications about searches Most of the time they are not mine and are not even in my academic area I always tick this is not me but it seems to make no difference Is there a way please to resolve this in any way I have had this question asked by other academics in my University with the same problem
L

Uses alternate name

Very useful when referring me to my field But I made a mistake at first by also using my maiden name in my profile as an alternate I have since removed this But I still get notifications for this name Have ticked all possible ticks to show its not a name I publish under etc but two years on I still get the notifications And there seems to be no way to communicate with a person
H

Irrelevant reply

Note that the reply does not address the issue I raised It asks for information about an incident that happened some years ago and does not tell me how to supply that information I no longer have that information but surely they have it in their own archives This is too typical
H

It has happened again

It has happened again For the second time in the last few weeks I have been asked if I wrote a well-known book in my field that I did not write When I click on this is not me I get three options that are all irrelevant to the actual situation It would not take much effort for the management of this company to confirm the actual author before sending out such inquiries There appears to be a serious lack of competence in the management of this business
A

Quality Control

So here s the thing this site doesn t require you to spend money There are articles available at no cost There is a nice variety of articles on a given subject If you want to spend money for a subscription to additional features you can choose that option Some of the complaints I ve seen on here I can t verify personally My personal complaint has to do with for lack of a better term or phrase quality control Whether you re paying or not the premise of this site is academic quality articles However I find that most of the articles I read in my preferred subject are the work of hacks who have no idea what they re talking about There is no avenue for comment or review of these articles barring the upload of an article of your own which may or may not be read by someone who might need the information or rebuttal you provide to keep the troublesome article in its proper sphere of credibility Overall I find the site useful But the vast amount of trash that manages to come through really takes away from the credibility of the site as a source for sincere academic work

About Academia

Academia.edu is a place to share and follow research.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Academia.edu is an online platform and social networking site designed for scholars. Its primary mission is to accelerate the world's research by facilitating the open dissemination of academic work. It allows researchers, professors, graduate students, and independent scholars to share their papers, discover the latest publications in their fields, and track the impact of their research, thereby increasing global access to scholarly knowledge.

Academia.edu is primarily used by academics across all disciplines, including the sciences, engineering, humanities, and social sciences. Users can create a personalized academic profile to upload and host their research papers, such as preprints, journal articles, and conference presentations. They can follow specific research interests, institutions, or other scholars to receive a tailored feed of new publications, build their professional network, and participate in research-related question and answer forums.

Key features of Academia.edu include a straightforward paper upload and hosting system with metadata tagging for discoverability; a detailed analytics dashboard that provides authors with insights into views, downloads, citations, and reader geography; a following/followers system for network building and updates; and community Q&A forums where users can post and answer research-related questions. These tools are designed to enhance research visibility and scholarly collaboration.

Academia.edu supports the open access movement by providing a free-to-access repository for academic research, challenging traditional publishing models that often involve paywalls. By enabling scholars to share their work publicly, the platform increases the visibility and potential impact of research, particularly benefiting those with limited access to subscription-based journals. It plays a significant role in making scholarly knowledge more accessible to a global audience.

Users should be aware that Academia.edu is a for-profit company, distinct from non-profit institutional repositories. Its business model includes offering premium subscription services that provide enhanced analytics and promotional tools. Additionally, scholars are encouraged to understand their rights regarding the papers they upload, as copyright for published articles often resides with publishers. Users must ensure they have the necessary permissions to share their work on the platform to avoid copyright infringement.

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About Academia

Academia.edu: A Premier Platform for Academic Research Sharing

Academia.edu is a widely recognized online platform designed to facilitate the open dissemination of academic research. Functioning as a social networking site for scholars, its primary mission is to accelerate the world's research by making papers freely accessible to a global audience. Researchers, professors, graduate students, and independent scholars use the platform to share their own work, discover the latest publications in their field, and track the impact of their research.

Core Functionality and User Experience

At its heart, Academia.edu provides users with a personalized profile page that serves as a dynamic academic portfolio. Members can upload their papers, including preprints, conference presentations, journal articles, and book chapters. The platform's robust search and recommendation engine allows users to follow specific research interests, institutions, or individual scholars, creating a tailored feed of new publications. Key features include:

  • Paper Upload and Hosting:A straightforward process for sharing PDFs, complete with metadata tagging for discoverability.
  • Analytics Dashboard:Authors gain detailed insights into how often their work is viewed, downloaded, and cited, along with geographic data on their readership.
  • Following and Followers:A network-building system that enables scholars to stay updated on peers' work and build their academic reputation.
  • Question & Answer Forums:Community spaces where users can post research-related questions and receive answers from experts worldwide.

Impact on the Research Ecosystem

Academia.edu plays a significant role in the movement towards open access, challenging traditional models of scholarly publishing that often reside behind paywalls. By providing a free-to-access repository, it increases the visibility and potential impact of research, particularly for early-career researchers or those at institutions with limited library budgets. The platform's analytics tools offer immediate feedback on engagement, which can be valuable for grant applications and tenure portfolios. However, it is important to note that Academia.edu is a for-profit company, distinct from non-profit open-access repositories often run by universities.

Audience and Key Considerations

The site caters primarily to academics across all disciplines, from the sciences and engineering to the humanities and social sciences. While immensely popular, users should be aware of certain dynamics. The platform's business model includes premium subscription services offering enhanced analytics and promotion tools. Scholars are also encouraged to understand their rights regarding sharing published versions of their articles, as copyright often rests with publishers. Despite these considerations, Academia.edu remains a powerful tool for publicizing research, discovering cutting-edge work, and connecting with a vast, interdisciplinary scholarly community.

In summary, Academia.edu serves as a vital digital hub for the global research community. It successfully bridges the gap between authors and readers, fostering collaboration and accelerating the diffusion of knowledge. By prioritizing accessibility and network effects, it has established itself as an essential resource for anyone looking to share, find, and discuss academic research online.