有时，想找的文献在论文数据库里面找不到，或者受制于权限，无法下载全文，可以向原作者索要，只要态度诚恳，大多数作者都会愿意发过来。前提是找到作者的有效联系方式，尤其是发表时间较早的论文，想找到电子邮箱等联系方式可能要花费一些功夫。可以先检索该作者的近些年发的文章，一般会有收获。
上周，看到一期Nature上的文章，但在网上检索不到该期杂志的下载，加之宿舍网络无法登陆Nature数据库下全文，就尝试联系了文章作者，耶鲁大学地质和地球物理学院的一位研究人员。上周五晚上发的邮件，本周二晚上得到的回复。寄来的全文，除了见之于杂志上的6页文章外，还有几页是未在杂志上刊出的相关图表。
网上有一些相关的邮件模板，重要的是态度诚恳，简洁：
Dear Prof. (Dr.) XXX (作者名），
I am XXXX, a graduate (doctoral) student in XXXX University in China. My major is XXX (你的专业）.
I am very interested in your recently publication: XXXXX (文章名), published in xXXXX （杂志名）， XXX年。But I have no access to this paper, so would you please mail me a PDF file of this paper?
My e-mail address is :XX@XXXXXX.
if you have no PDF file of this paper, would you please mail me a copy via air mail.
Sincerely yours,
XXXXXXX
Dear Dr. （注：国外作者无论其是教授还是其他什么职务，如果有博士学位，他更愿意别人称他为博士），
I am interested in your paper entiltled "------" (Journal name, Vol, Page ). I would be very grateful if you could send me a copy in PDF or word document on my e-mail box. Thank you!
Regards,
Name,
一个比较长的：
Dear Prof.(Dr.) XXX, (author's name)
I am a graduate (doctor) student majored in XXX (你的专业） of XXX University （你的学校） in China. Recently, I found one of your articles, titled "XXXXXXXXXXXX" （你所要的文章名）in "XXXX"(杂志). I found it may help me achieve my goals in this research field. This would make a really positive contribution to my work.
I would like to be able to read the full text of this article,but I have no access to this paper, I wonder if you would consider sending me the full text by Email. Thank you for your kind consideration of this request.
Sincerely: ___________（您的名字）
My Email address is: ____________________ （你的email地址）
收到全文后的感谢信：
注意：收到全文后一定要回复作者收到全文，并表示感谢。
Dear______,
Thank you very much for your help. I have received the requested article. Your kind help is very much appreciated. Thank you again for your consideration. Yours sincerely XXX
自己写的：
Dear Prof. XXX:
I am XXX, a graduate student in Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in China. My major is Meteorology.
I am very interested in your recently publication Tropical cyclones and permanent El Ni?o in the early Pliocene epoch published in Nature on Feb 25th 2010. I find it may help me achieve my goals in this research field. But I have no access to the full text of this article, so would you please mail me a PDF file of this paper by e-mail? My e-mail address is （自己邮箱）
Thank you for your kind consideration of this request.
Yours sincerely
XXX
Apr 24th,2010
感谢信：
Dear Prof.XXX:
Thank you very much for your help. I have received the requested article: Tropical cyclones and permanent El Ni?o in the early Pliocene epoch.Your kind help is very much appreciated. Thank you again for your consideration.
Yours sincerely
XXX（自己名字）
Apr 29th,2010
