Authentication issues? Learn about remote access
It's not always easy but it is possible to access Springer Nature content from home and we want to help you carry on with your work as much as possible. Here’s how remote access works.
A quick guide to authentication
We work with our institutional customers around the world to ensure that you can easily access the content they subscribe to. We identify users based on IP address. IP authentication is common when on campus. When working remotely you will often need to take an additional step to authenticate to access. Once you are signed in, you can then access Springer Nature content in the same way you would on campus.
Three common ways your institution may provide remote access
If you are unsure what method your institution uses to grant you access to content remotely, we recommend asking your librarian or going to your library's website to find this information. Most likely, your institution or organisation uses one of the following methods:
VPN - If your institution offers a VPN (Virtual Private Network), sign into the VPN and you should then be able to read Springer Nature content just as if you were at work.
Secure Proxy Server - If your institution uses a proxy server, sign in to the proxy server. To do so, you might need to use your library’s discovery service and search for articles or chapters there to access. Or your institution might also provide something like a bookmarklet, so that you can use your discovery service of choice and still easily authenticate and access via the proxy.
Federated access - If your institution or organisation has federated access enabled with Springer Nature, you can access content by logging in on our websites. For Nature content, follow the ‘Access through your institution’ link on the article page or go directly to wayf.springernature.com to find the login page for your institution. For Springer Nature Link, either click on the ‘Log in’ link and then select ‘Log in via Shibboleth or Athens’ or go directly to link.springer.com/athens-shibboleth-login.
In response to campus closures due to COVID-19, Springer Nature has continued to work with technology partners and institutions to make it as easy as possible for readers to access content:
Persisted access: After you have authenticated via your institutional or organisational network (see above), Springer Nature will remember you for 90 days using a cookie. As long as you return on the same device on the same browser and don’t clear your cookies, you will have access to your institution’s subscriptions without having to authenticate again. The feature is subject to change.
Google Scholar Universal CASA: If you are logged into your Google Account in your browser and visit Nature or Springer Nature Link while within your institutional or organisational network IP address (including VPN and proxy), Google Scholar will create a connection between your Google Account and your institution that lasts for 60 days. During that time, even if you visit Nature or Springer Nature Link from another IP address, you’ll continue to be able to access your institutional subscriptions. A grey ‘PDF’ or ‘Full Text’ button will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen on a content page to show you are authenticated.
The feature works across different devices and browsers, as long as you’re logged into your Google Account in your browser. It can be disabled in your Google Scholar Account settings.
If you are experiencing issues with remote access, contact your librarian or the Springer Nature Customer Service teams for help.
Author: Lucy Frisch
Lucy Frisch is a Senior Marketing Manager leading the Content Marketing Programmes team, based in the New York office. She has a passion for storytelling and works to humanize the research published across Springer Nature with a focus on the researcher experience.
