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Access Management Overview

  • Updated

What's in this article:

On-campus access:

Remote access:

Authentication Enhancements

Below you will find all of the access options available for JSTOR participating institutions.

On-campus access:

IP addresses:

If your institution has a physical location with dedicated IP addresses, then you will want to be sure to give us those IPs. This will ensure automatic access to any on-campus computers. Contact us and we will add them for you. 

  • Please note that addresses of the type 10.*.*.*, 172.[16-31].*, and 192.168.*.* are reserved for internal networks and are not useful for authentication purposes.
  • If your IP addresses change or you add any, please let us know as soon as possible so we can ensure you have seamless access.
  • If you're having trouble with access, we will probably need to know your IP address. You can ask your IT team for a list of active IPs but telling us your current IP will also be really helpful. Just type "What is my IP?" into Google.

Remote Access:

Referring URL:

A referring URL is a link on your library page which sends users to JSTOR. As long as they are travelling to the JSTOR site through this link, JSTOR recognizes them as a member of your institution and gives them access. To ensure that users accessing JSTOR in this way are members of a particular institution, this link can only be displayed behind a password protected page. It's not our preferred method because other available methods are more secure. You can see our technical requirements in the Librarian and Administrator section.

Proxies:

Proxy servers can be set up via IP address to allow users access to JSTOR. The proxy must require authentication to restrict it to authorized users only. Provide us with your proxy server IP and we will add it to your account. If you are using EZProxy, you may want to review our recommended set-up.

Google Social Sign On

If you are using Google as your single sign on method, we can help you configure it to allow access to JSTOR. Our system will recognize any member logging into Google with your institution's domain name and provide institutional access. Note this domain must be unique to your institution and cannot be shared across multiple institutions within a district.

When logging in through Google Single Sign On you will be required to create or log into a personal JSTOR account. Please contact us and include all of your Institution's domains in the request to get started.  

Shibboleth:

Shibboleth is another single sign on method that allows users to authenticate via their institutional credentials to access JSTOR. In order for JSTOR to enable access via Shibboleth, we have to belong to the same federation that you do. Here is a list of federations we currently belong to:

Contact us with the following information to begin the setup process:

  • The name of the federation to which you belong
  • Your Shibboleth Identity Provider ID (entity ID), and
  • The list of campuses (if more than one) served by that ID

If you are using Open Athens as your chosen Shibboleth Federation, you can learn more about how to configure it in Access Management: Technical Instructions.

VPN (Virtual Private Network): 

A VPN is a private network that will allow your users to be authenticated to JSTOR by IP Address(es). With some VPN configurations, you may need to whitelisted additional information to ensure successful authentication.

Contact us if you need to add your VPN's IP address into our system or if your current VPN is not authenticating users.

Remote Username and Password:

This method of access is only available for eligible institutions. If we determine that your institution is eligible, we will issue the remote username and password when we set up your access. If you have questions about eligibility, or you would like to update the remote username and password for your institution, please contact us.

Authentication Enhancements

Browser pairing

When a researcher visits JSTOR from their campus or organization network (through a proxy or a VPN, for example), their off-campus access from the same browser is recognized by JSTOR for over one year (normally 30 days, currently extended due to COVID-related remote learning needs). Please note that browser pairing is lost when a browser cookies are cleared; pairing is restored when the user next visits JSTOR via their institution’s network.

Google CASA

We have partnered with Google to support streamlined access for people at institutions that use both JSTOR and Google Scholar, through a free service called Campus Activated Subscriber Access, or CASA. When a researcher visits Google Scholar while logged into a campus network, Google CASA remembers their affiliation and that they should have access to their institution’s licensed resources. This information is stored in a secure token that is valid for 30 days. During this period, the researcher can access JSTOR without having to log in through their campus network, no matter where they are located. The token is renewed the next time a researcher logs into their network and visits Google Scholar.

Google CASA is GDPR-compliant because it does not capture any personal information about the user, only that they have been granted access to a particular institution’s resources.

If you have more questions about any of this information, let us know.

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