Skip to content
IOP Science

As a society member why can I not access my content?

What determines what you can access

Your society membership unlocks a specific set of entitlements. These usually differ in two ways:

  • Which journal(s) you can read
  • How many years of content are available to you

Because each society negotiates its own arrangement, two members logging in through IOPscience may see very different levels of access even though both are “society members.”

How access typically differs between societies

This is where most confusion comes from. Some societies provide access to one journal, while others include a full archive.

  • IPEM members — Access to Physics in Medicine & Biology (PMB)
    • Content years: 1956-2027
  • LMS members — Access to titles such as Nonlinearity
    • Content years: 1988-2027
  • ASP members — Access to Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (PASP),
    • Coverage: current year plus the previous ten years.
  • JSFM members — Access to Fluid Dynamics Research (FDR)
    • Content years: 1986-2027
  • IOP Members (full IOP membership) — Access to all IOP owned journals
    • Content years: all available content years (which is the broadest access we offer).

If you are expecting access to multiple journals or full archives but your society membership only includes one title or a limited range of years, the system will show restricted access because that reflects the entitlement set by your society.

How to check what you should have

If you’re not sure which society you’re a member of, or what your membership includes, there are a few easy ways to confirm:

  • Look at your society’s membership confirmation or welcome email
  • Check the membership benefits section on your society’s website
  • Review any login details the society provided for IOPscience

And if you’re still unsure, our Customer Services team can look up your membership type and confirm exactly what you should be able to access.