Email: Contact JSTOR User Support

Phone:
(888) 388-3574 toll free in the United States
(734) 887-7001 local and international

Twitter: @JSTORSupport

Enabling Access

Managing My Collection

Accessing Usage Statistics

  • In order to set up direct, IP-based access for your institution, you will need to provide JSTOR Support with a list of the public (external) IP addresses that your institution uses to access electronic resources. These IP addresses should be static, as opposed to dynamically-assigned by your Internet Service Provider, and should not be shared with other organizations.

    Please note that addresses of the type 10.*.*.*, 172.[16-31].*, and 192.168.*.* are reserved for use in internal networks, such as computers that are behind a firewall or a proxy server, and are not useful for authentication purposes.

    Whenever your institution makes any changes to the IP addresses it uses to access JSTOR, you can submit these updates to JSTOR Support.

  • All participating institutions have the option of setting up remote access to JSTOR for their users along with onsite access. The main methods of remote access that we support are proxies and federated options like OpenAthens and ShibbolethWe do offer several other remote access options when the main supported methods will not work for your institution. Please contact JSTOR Support for assistance selecting and setting up the best remote access method for you.

  • You are welcome to authenticate users to JSTOR through a proxy server, as long as access to the proxy server is restricted to only authorized users at your institution. On our end, the only configuration necessary would be to ensure that the IP address for your proxy is enabled to access JSTOR. In order to enable a proxy server for your institution, please submit your proxy server IP address to JSTOR Support.


  • In order to enable your JSTOR access via EZProxy, all we typically need from you is the IP address of your EZProxy server. Feel free to send it to JSTOR Support and we will make the necessary changes

    OCLC's support team should be able to help you with your EZProxy set-up, however the configuration we typically recommend for JSTOR access is as follows:

    1. The JSTOR database definition should be:

    Option DomainCookieOnly

    Title JSTOR

    URL http://www.jstor.org/

    Domain jstor.org

    Option Cookie

    2. In addition, EZProxy must be explicitly configured to handle https. If https handling is not already set up, users will lose proxying when they arrive at the JSTOR login page, and the connection will be lost. If this is the case, SSL configuration must be performed using the information provided by OCLC.

  • JSTOR supports authentication through both the OpenAthens MD and OpenAthens LA services. Once we have enabled OpenAthens authentication for your institution, users will be able to access JSTOR by signing in through with their institutional login from the JSTOR login page.

    OpenAthens MD is a centrally hosted identity management service available through Eduserv, and you can read more about it on the Eduserv website. To enable access to JSTOR through OpenAthens MD, the JSTOR resource must be allocated as a resource for your institution. Please contact JSTOR Support to request that we enable OpenAthens MD as your access method and include your Org ID in the request.

    OpenAthens LA is a locally-hosted single sign-on (SSO) service, and you can read more about this service on the Eduserv website. JSTOR partners with OpenAthens-enabled institutions to allow users to access JSTOR by signing in with their institutional login from the JSTOR login page. If you would like to enable access to JSTOR through your OpenAthens LA identity, please contact JSTOR Support with following information:

    + Your institution's Shibboleth Identity Provider ID

    Once this information is in our records, your Attribute Authority can authorize users into JSTOR by asserting the eduPersonEntitlement attribute with a value of urn:mace:dir:entitlement:common-lib-terms.


  • Shibboleth is open source software that provides institutions with Single Sign-on, a system of authentication procedures, protocols, and technologies that enable end users to access multiple online resources with one set of credentials. The Shibboleth system allows organizations to exchange information about users securely and privately. More detailed information may be found on the Shibboleth website.

    JSTOR partners with Shibboleth-enabled institutions to allow users to access JSTOR by signing in through their institution from the JSTOR website. However, in order for an institution or organization to access JSTOR through Shibboleth, JSTOR and the organization must be a member of the same Shibboleth federation. A list of federations may be found on the Shibboleth Federations website.

    If you would like to enable access to JSTOR through your institutional Shibboleth identity, please contact JSTOR Support with following information:

    + Which federation (or federations) your institution is a member of
    + Your institution's Shibboleth Identity Provider ID (entity ID)
    + The list of campuses (if more than one) the Identity Provider serves

    Once this information is in our records, your Attribute Authority can authorize users into JSTOR by asserting the eduPersonScopedAffiliation attribute with a value of member or library-walk-in.

    Please note that while JSTOR is currently a member of the following Shibboleth federations, we'll be happy to explore joining other federations as necessary:

    + DFN-AAI
    + InCommon
    + SWITCHaai
    + UK Access Management
    + OpenAthens
    + eduID.cz
    + SWITCHaai
  • JSTOR’s Institution Finder assists unauthenticated users at your institution to access full-text content on JSTOR. Here's how it works:

    1. A user arrives on a JSTOR article page from a Google search or other referring page

    2. An on-campus user will get automatic access to the full-text, but users outside of the institution’s IP range will be denied access

    3. When denied access to the full-text, the user is presented with options for accessing JSTOR, including a link to the JSTOR login page and the Institution Finder

    4. From there she can search for their institution and follow a link to your proxy login page

    5. After logging in, she is authenticated to JSTOR and will be automatically redirected to the original full-text article

    If you are interested in this functionality for your library, we need only to confirm your EZProxy prefix, which should look something like this:

    http://server.university.edu/login?url=

    You can send this information to JSTOR Support.

  • Title lists for your institutional holdings are available for download as text delimited files.
    Please note: IP authentication is required to access institution holdings lists.

    Journals

    If you participate in Archive Collections, Current Journals, or 19th Century British Pamphlets, you can access a list of titles available at your institution via the following link:

    Journal Holdings Available at My Institution

    To view the definitions of the descriptive headers in the delimited list, please review this guide.

    Books

    If you participate in the Books at JSTOR program, including single-title purchases, subject collections and demand-driven acquisition, you can access a list of titles available at your institution via the following link:

    Book Holdings Available at My Institution

  • JSTOR’s policies for provisioning Post-Cancellation Access (PCA) for titles in the Current Scholarship Program (CSP) depend on the subscription end date and the availability of the content on the JSTOR platform through the Current Scholarship Program (CSP).

    Libraries can purchase PCA for a small annual fee (currently set at $15), and JSTOR will provision and maintain access on its platform as long as this fee, called the Annual CSP PCA fee, is paid. JSTOR will provision PCA on the JSTOR platform, from the DAD (digital availability date) through the last issue subscribed. For Digital Availability Dates, go to the Current Scholarship Program title list.

    However, if the library participates in a JSTOR archive collection that includes the title being claimed, or the library is a Portico participant, JSTOR will provision PCA on the JSTOR platform at no charge, from the DAD through the last issue purchased, as long as the library continues to participate in the collection or remains a Portico participant.

    Please refer to 7.3 Section of our Terms and Conditions for full description of the policies.

  • We are able to support referring URL as an authentication method to JSTOR under the following circumstances:

    -The referring URL must be password-protected, meaning users must authenticate in some way in order to gain access to the referring page, via username and password, library number, barcode ID or similar.
    -The referrer does not include embedded code (such as JavaScript) to open a new window.
    -Users do not have security software on their computers (personal firewalls and the like) that strips the referrer information from the headers. In these cases, referring URL authentication will not work.
    -Sometimes library server configurations on a website result in the HTTP referrer header not being sent. If this is the case on your website, then referring URL authentication will not work for any users.

    If these conditions are possible and you would like to explore whether referring URL will work as an authentication method for your library, then all we typically need is the referring URL itself, i.e. the URL of the page that includes the link to JSTOR. Referring URLs often look something like:

    http://www.exampleuniversity.edu/library/databases/

    Please note that referring URL is not a fully-secure authentication method as the referrer can be manipulated in the HTTP header (at least one Firefox extension exists to do just this). It is important that participating institutions ensure that only authorized users are allowed access to JSTOR. Please contact JSTOR Support for assistance with setting up referring URL authentication for your institution.

  • 1) JSTOR participants should contact JSTOR Support, giving the title and the subscribed years and volumes.

    2) Support staff will verify this information with the publisher, check the library’s Portico participation status if applicable, and check the status of the subscription to the relevant archive collection.

    3) If the claim is verified, support staff will provision access, advise the appropriate person in the library that this has been done, and, if appropriate, send an invoice.

    4) Subscription agents are welcome to send this document to their customers to answer PCA questions, and JSTOR will accept PCA claims that come from subscription agents or directly from the library to the support team.


  • While we have tested and fully support the versions listed below, JSTOR works with all web browsers and operating systems. If you have any questions regarding compatibility or supported software, please feel free to contact JSTOR Support.

    Operating System and Recommended Versions

    Windows: Version 7 and above
    Mac: Latest Version

    Supported Web Browsers and Recommended Versions

    Chrome: Latest version
    Firefox: Latest version
    Safari: Latest version
    Internet Explorer:  Versions 9-11 (subject to change over time)
  • Journals + Primary Source Content

    JSTOR creates and enters new cataloging records or updates existing cataloging records in OCLC for each title, current or previous, in the archive. The records include the URL for each title in the 856 MARC field.

    Currently, the only way to locate all the cataloging records for each title in a JSTOR collection is to conduct a title-by-title search in OCLC. When reviewing records for potential downloading to your local system, please ensure that there is not a MARC field indicating “Record reported for deletion.” In such cases, a different record should be located and reviewed for downloading.

    Books at JSTOR

    Books at JSTOR offers free, high-quality MARC records from OCLC. The MARC records are available to all participating institutions, regardless of whether they are OCLC affiliates. 

    You can download sample MARC records here (in .mrc format).  A detailed guide to setting up OCLC Collection Manager to receive MARC records for Books at JSTOR titles is available here.

  • We've compiled various forms relevant to your participation with JSTOR here, including a Sole Source Statement, W-9s, a Tax Exempt Letter, Accessibility Standards, and various payment documents. If you need something that isn't listed below, please contact JSTOR Support with your request.

    Sole Source .pdf: While there are many online resources for scholarly content, JSTOR is the sole provider of the collections in the JSTOR Archive. This content is not being provided in JSTOR's aggregated format from other sources.

    Form W-9 (JSTOR) .pdf, Form W-9 (Portico) .pdf: Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, is an official statement from JSTOR of its Tax Identification Number. Participants may rely on the information on the form for their records and/or reporting needs. ITHAKA's Employer Identification Number is 133857105.

    Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Letter .pdf: This letter, dated March 13, 2000 from the Internal Revenue Service, establishes JSTOR as a tax exempt organization and as a public charity under Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.

    Payment Instructions:  For participants paying an invoice by check, wire transfer or credit card.

    Accessibility Standards: The JSTOR Platform is compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and W3C WAI WCAG 2.0 Level A accessibility standards.

  • It is necessary for your browser to be set to accept cookies in order to browse and search the JSTOR site, as well as to improve the response time and performance of the site. Click here for instructions on enabling cookies in your browser. Any personal information, other than what is voluntarily submitted, is not extracted in this process, and we do not use cookies to identify what other websites or pages you have visited. Please visit the page on JSTOR’s Use of Cookies for more information.


  • JSTOR is dedicated to providing a trusted electronic archive of scholarly journals. In balancing the interests of publishers, libraries, and users, JSTOR archival collections do not include access to the most recent issues of journals to ensure that publisher interests are not undermined. However, the digital environment offers opportunities to link together disparate and related resources, and we have been working hard to develop a program that joins the back issues with the more recent issues in a way that makes the experience for users as seamless as possible. For this reason, JSTOR supports and encourages its participating institutions’ use of link resolvers. 

  • JSTOR supports OpenURL linking for all content. Users at institutions that have activated a link resolver for use with JSTOR will see OpenURL links for all content in collections not licensed by their institutions, as well as for links to current issues content on partner sites.

    To activate OpenURL links for your institution, please send the following information to JSTOR User Support:

    + The Base URL for your linking server (for example, http://sfxserver.uni.edu/sfxmenu, http://ab12cd34ef.search.serialssolutions.com/)
    + (optional) If you would like a customized button to appear instead of the generic JSTOR button, then please send us your .gif or .jpeg image as an attachment, or a URL from where we can download the image. For accessibility and formatting reasons, your image must be at least 20 pixels in height and have a maximum width of 150 pixels.

  • As a librarian, you have several ways of branding the JSTOR experience for your users. Our provider designation statement is displayed to authenticated users on the top right corner of the screen. It reads:

     "Your access to JSTOR provided by [your institution name]"

    You may indicate to JSTOR Support what you would like to display here, whether it is a donating organization that has made JSTOR access possible or your university’s name with a link to your library website.

    You can also brand the JSTOR experience by implementing a link resolver. This offers you the ability to use a specialized image and link text for OpenURL links available to your users. You may read more about setting up link resolvers here. At this time, these are the main ways of branding your users' experiences on JSTOR. If you would like to change or update what we currently have on file for your institution, please contact JSTOR Support for assistance.

  • JSTOR® and the JSTOR logo are trademarks of JSTOR, and are Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

    As requested by JSTOR participants, we have created digital logos that may be downloaded and used in print or online materials. You are welcome to use the JSTOR logo on materials distributed to your users or on your institution’s web pages to announce your participation in JSTOR. We ask that you be aware of the following restrictions on the use of the JSTOR name and logo:

    + You may not use JSTOR's name or logo for any purpose other than as set forth above, except as specifically approved by JSTOR. Under no circumstance may JSTOR's name or logo be used in a way likely to cause confusion as to the origin of JSTOR's or other services.

    + You may not alter the appearance of the logo. JSTOR reserves the right to review your use of JSTOR's name or logo, and you agree to provide JSTOR with access to your site to review your use of the name or logo. JSTOR may require you to discontinue any such use.

    Three logo sizes are available for download:

    Small Logo

    Medium Logo

    Large Logo

    If you have any questions about this policy, please contact JSTOR Support.

  • The JSTOR Search Widget code is available on the following page. Please be sure to read the legal text regarding usage of the JSTOR Search Box, which is embedded in the code.

    Your use of the JSTOR Search Widget indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Service. In particular, please be aware of Sections 9 and 11.1 of our Terms and Conditions of Service, as these pertain to Access Software.

  • JSTOR relies on a number of sources to support our goal of providing online access to a complete back run of every participating journal.

    Publishers provide issues they have available and we make every reasonable effort to acquire any remaining issues through purchases from third-party vendors. However, in some instances there are still issues missing and in these cases libraries, societies, and individuals have been invaluable in helping to complete journal back runs through donations and loans.

    We very much appreciate the generosity of libraries and other sources willing to donate and/or lend needed materials for digitization. If you are in a position to help, or have any questions about a particular issue that you believe is missing, please write to issues.needed@jstor.org.

  • Access to the JSTOR usage statistics reporting tool is granted to institutional administrators. In order to be set up as an administrator for your institution, you will first need to register for a MyJSTOR account. Once you've created an account, contact JSTOR Support with your username and ask to be added as an administrator to your institution's account. Once you're attached as an administrator, you can log into your MyJSTOR account and choose "Usage Statistics" from the MyJSTOR drop-down menu. You can also find the interface at https://www.jstor.org/analytics/.

    Usage Statistics

  • Usage statistics for 2015 are available directly on the JSTOR site. 2014 COUNTER reports will be available upon request from JSTOR; prior year reporting as well as non-COUNTER reports (the Detailed and Summary usage reports) will not be offered.

    The following reports adhere to Release 4 of the COUNTER code of Practice for Journals and Databases and are available for 2015 usage data:

    + Journal Report 1 (JR1): This report shows the number of successful full-text article requests by month and journal
    + Journal Report 2 (JR2): This report shows the number of turnaways to full-text articles by month, journal and category
    + Journal Report 5 (JR5): This report shows the number of successful full-text article requests by year-of-publication (YOP) and journal
    + Platform Report 1 (PR1): This report (formerly the Database Report 3) shows the number of total searches, result clicks and record views by month and platform
    + Book Report 2 (BR2): This report shows the number of successful section requests by month and title
    + Book Report 3 (BR3): This report shows the number of turnaways to content items by month, title and category
    + Database Report 1 (DB1): This report shows the number of total searches, result clicks and record views by month and database
    + Database Report 2 (DB2): This report shows the number of turnaways by month, database and category
    + Consortium Report 1 (CR1): This report shows the number of successful full-text journal article or book chapter requests by month and title

    You can also download a complete FAQ on COUNTER 4.
  • COUNTER Reports adhere to information industry standards for reporting online usage statistics in a consistent and compatible way. These reports serve librarians, publishers, and others interested in learning about the institutional use of a resource like JSTOR. Explore the definitions of terms relevant to COUNTER reports.


  • At present, all COUNTER 3 reports may be harvested via SUSHI. SUSHI Service Information is available in the Administration tab of your MyJSTOR account, which can be used to set up statistics harvesting. We're working on getting the requestor ID back into the SUSHI Service Information area. Meanwhile, the Requestor ID is the MyJSTOR username of the administrator who is set up for your account to pull statistics.

    Please note, however, that we are experiencing time-out issues with larger reports. These time-out issues will be resolved with our release of COUNTER 4 on January 1st, 2015. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes in the interim. If you have additional questions, please contact us at support@jstor.org.

  • If your institution has any subscriptions hosted by JSTOR through our Current Scholarship Program, you will now use the JSTOR usage statistic reporting tool to track usage. JSTOR took over usage statistic tracking for our partner presses when the Current Scholarship Program began in 2011. Usage statistics for these journals are automatically included in all JSTOR reports, but according to COUNTER standards are not available in individual usage reports.

  • You can schedule monthly reports, but the end date needs to be in the future. The report will not run until the first of the month, so you may want to run an additional on-demand report also. You will receive an email when the report is ready to download. This email can end up in the Spam folder, so check there if you don't see it right away. If you still can’t find it, no worries, a copy can also be downloaded from the Report History menu in the COUNTER 4 interface.

    COUNTER 4 Interface

  • JSTOR offers the following COUNTER compliant usage reports for consortia , which adhere to Release 4 of the COUNTER code of Practice for Journals and Databases:

    + Consortium Report 1 - Number of successful full-text journal article or book chapter requests by month and title.
    + Consortium Report 2
    - Total searches by month and database. 

  • When you run a COUNTER 4 usage report and select either a TSV or XML format, it will be generated as a .zip file. This file has to be opened and the contents extracted in order for you to view the report in Excel. The links below provide information about zip files depending on your operating system, as well as instructions for opening text files in Excel:

    Windows
    Mac
    Opening tab (.tsv) or comma (.csv) delimited text files in Excel

    Any additional questions you have about opening COUNTER 4 reports in Excel can be directed to JSTOR Support.