Are all papers on SSRN free?

All individual authors can upload their papers to SSRN for free. All papers uploaded by individual authors are available for download free of charge.

SSRN does allow publishers and institutions to charge users for downloading papers they post. The publisher sets the price.

How do I purchase a paper?

To purchase a charging paper follow the steps below.

1. Sign in to SSRN.
2. Find the paper by typing in the URL or using our search engine.
3. Click 'Add Paper to My Library' at the top of the abstract page.
4. Go to the 'My Library' screen from your SSRN User Home Screen.
5. From the 'MyFavorites' tab select 'Purchase' from the Download column.
6. Input your billing information when prompted.
7. When the billing information has been accepted, choose the option to either: 'Download the PDF', 'Email URL to a Friend' or leave the paper in your MyFavorites for future use. You can also always find a paper you purchased while signed in on the 'Download History' tab of your My Library page.