How I Read Research Sources With Assistive Technology

Learning how to write research papers and essays can be overwhelming for students with low vision or print disabilities that impact access to standard print. Research databases, search engine results pages, and even just research articles in general can be extremely overwhelming visually, making it difficult for users to find the information they are looking for or read it effectively. As part of my Writing Success series, here is how I read research sources with assistive technology as a student with low vision, and options for getting accessible copies of research papers.

What file format(s) are available?

Before identifying potential workflows for reading research sources with assistive technology, it is helpful to identify what file format(s) or accessible media option(s) are available and that will best support the user with their reading goals. Some articles are listed on multiple databases, with each database having different file formats available for text, so users may prefer to search specific databases or research sources to find what they need.

While this is by no means a complete list, I have encountered the following file formats available on research databases for full-text content:

EBSCO: HTML, PDF, MP3
Elsevier/ScienceDirect: HTML, PDF
Gale: HTML, PDF, MP3
JSTOR: PDF
Project MUSE: HTML, PDF
ProQuest: HTML, PDF, XLS, RTF, TXT
Sage: HTML, PDF, EPUB
Springer: HTML, PDF
Taylor and Francis: HTML, PDF, MP3
Wiley: HTML, PDF, PPT (for viewing figures)

Please note that the file formats listed above may not be available for all content listed in the database.

Filtering for digital content

Since there is no way for me to search for specific file formats when searching on my university library’s website, I filter library and database results to include the following availability options:

Available Online
Open Access
Full Text Availability
Instant Access

I can also filter searches further to show results from specific collections, such as ProQuest Central, which is helpful for locating results in specific file formats. I can also search for specific file formats on WorldCat, which I share more about in my post for finding research sources linked below.

Accessing research sources in HTML format

I prefer to use the HTML file format whenever possible, which is displayed in my web browser and provides options for using browser zoom, enlarging the text size, adjusting line spacing, and other digital text preferences.

To access research sources in a HTML format, I will use one or more of the following tools:

Simplified reading display, which applies consistent text formatting for digital content to include larger font sizes, single-column layout, and increased spacing. Immersive Reader, Google Reading Mode, and Reading View are examples of simplified reading displays.
Adjust text spacing and/or columns to show a single-column page that I can scroll through.
Display extensions such as dark mode/high contrast reading tools
Browser zoom to enlarge text without having to scroll horizontally to read lines
Navigate to areas of interest with hyperlinks or a table of contents
Use Read Aloud, text-to-speech, or another screen reader to navigate the page. Most of the HTML text I encounter has headings, so it is easier to navigate between sections and have text read out loud accurately

The WebReader tool used by Taylor and Francis provides a built-in read aloud tool with word-level highlighting and a text mode for displaying HTML content in plain text with adjustable font sizes.

Accessing research sources in EPUB format

EPUB is another file format I frequently use that may also be used with the Available Online label and used to display articles from research journals. EPUB offers many of the same customization options as HTML text and can be downloaded for offline reading in another application as well. Sometimes, I have to select “Download PDF” on a page for the university library in order to have the option to read something as an EPUB file, which is common for the SAGE databases.

To access research sources in an EPUB format, I will use one or more of the following tools:

Enlarge text size with browser zoom or Reading options menu
Sideloading content into an eReader or eReading application for offline reading or reference. Send-to-Kindle is one example of a free tool that can be used for saving offline readings.
Adjusting font alignment and font size using either built-in browser tools or another eReading application
Use an outline or table of contents to navigate to headings or topics of interest
Bookmark or highlight text using an eReading application
Listen to text read out loud with built-in text-to-speech, or import the EPUB into another application for reading.

Another source I use for finding books and articles in EPUB format is Bookshare, an online accessible library for users with print disabilities that is free for students in the United States. I used Bookshare to find titles that had been published by Routledge, so I could take notes more easily in Microsoft Word.

Accessing research sources in PDF format

Out of all of the digital text formats I’ve mentioned, I admittedly like PDF the least out of all of them because the format itself isn’t very flexible or customizable. I can’t adjust the line spacing, font style, or enlarge text without zooming in/magnifying the page and having to scroll horizontally. Also, if a PDF is scanned as an image, I can’t use a screen reader or text-to-speech to read any of the text. That said, there are still ways for me to access research sources in a PDF format, including:

Enlarging text with a screen magnification program
Converting the PDF to HTML using the free Paper to HTML web tool
Import the PDF into another audio reading program such as Capti or Voice Dream, which can display the plain text and read the text out loud
Sideload the PDF into another program such as Capti or Send-to-Kindle, which has an option for importing an adaptive file format that supports custom text formatting (line spacing, font size, etc.).
Use web browser to read PDF, with option for Read Aloud available in PDFs that have OCR support. Elsevier and JSTOR in my experience did not work well with Read Aloud in the web browser.
Open PDF in Microsoft Word. To do this, select Open, followed by Browse, and then select the file of choice.

Digitizing sources into accessible text

If I come across text that I am interested in reading but can’t find in an accessible format, I have a few tools I can use for enlarging materials or digitizing sources into accessible text. Depending on the type of content, I have a few options for requesting or remediating text into an accessible format, including:

Using a video magnifier or CCTV to enlarge text.
Scanning text from a page or having it read out loud with a scanning pen. I personally use the Scanmarker Air.
Scanning text with my smartphone into a visual assistance app that can recognize text from an image.
Requesting a digital copy of materials from my college library or assistive technology office, which can provide copies of educational materials.
Submitting a request to Bookshare with the ISBN included.
Requesting an interlibrary loan for digital content.
Contacting the author of a paper and asking if they can send a digital copy. This has worked incredibly well for me, and I have received copies of papers in DOCX (Word) and PDF.

Many college and university libraries offer tools for digitizing text such as scanners, scanning pens, video magnifiers, and librarian services at no additional cost to students.

How I Read Research Sources With Assistive Technology

What file format(s) are available?

Filtering for digital content

Related links

Accessing research sources in HTML format

Related links

Accessing research sources in EPUB format

Related links

Accessing research sources in PDF format

Related links

Digitizing sources into accessible text

Related links

Other options for reading research sources with assistive technology

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