How to register and use ResearchGate to access research resources?

ResearchGate is a free scholarly social networking platform enabling researchers to find, access, and share research resources. Registration requires a valid institutional email address or manual verification to ensure legitimacy. Sign up on the ResearchGate website, confirm your email, and create a comprehensive profile detailing your affiliation, research interests, and publications. Crucially, actively adding your publications enhances profile visibility and resource availability. To access resources, utilize the search functions, follow researchers, join relevant topics, and request full-texts directly from authors where possible. Adhere strictly to copyright regulations when sharing your own work or requesting documents. Using ResearchGate facilitates immediate access to preprints, conference papers, datasets, and author-provided copies beyond paywalls. It fosters academic connections, provides insights into research impact through profile statistics, and serves as a valuable research dissemination infrastructure alongside traditional libraries.