Scientific American Digital: Digital archive of all issues from 1993 to present.

Subscribing to Scientific American Digital

Purchasing individual issues (pay-per-issue)

Getting institutional access with a site license

Subscribing to Scientific American Digital
For instant access, you can use any of the Subscribe options you see on the front page, in MY ACCOUNTS, or you can click here. You can also purchase the digital subscription over the phone by calling 800-333-1199 (US and Canada) or 515-248-7684 (international). Please note that telephone purchases do not result in instant access.

Purchasing Individual Issues
You have the option to purchase individual issues without subscribing. Scientific American Mind, Special Editions and Exclusive Online Issues are sold online by pay-per-issue only.

1. Search or browse the archive to find your issue
2. Add the issue to the cart
3. View cart and checkout
4. Download the issue

You will have access to purchased issues for 30 days from the date of purchase. You can access your purchased issues during the 30-day period from your download history in MY ACCOUNT.

Getting institutional access with a site license

Institutions can now purchase site-wide, online access. A site license provides unlimited access to all readers at your institution without the need for usernames and passwords. Articles are published in HTML and PDF. For more information, click here.

Please note that a Scientific American Digital subscription cannot be purchased for institutional use. Scientific American Digital is for individual use only.

If your institution has site license access, you can login here.
Recommend site license access to your institution here.

How do I order site wide access for my institution?
Institutions can now purchase site-wide, online access with a site license. A site license provides unlimited access to all readers at your institution without the need for usernames and passwords. Articles are published in HTML and PDF. For more information, click here. Please note that Digital subscriptions can not be purchased for institutional use.

What is a 'site license'?
A site license provides unlimited access to all readers at your institution without the need for usernames and passwords. Articles are published in HTML and PDF. For more information, click here. Please note that Digital subscriptions can not be purchased for institutional use.

If your institution has site license access, you can login here.
Recommend site license access to your institution here.

My institution has purchased site license access but I cannot access articles on this site.
Site license access is hosted on nature.com. If your institution has purchased a site license, you can view the licensed Scientific American content here.