What Is CARSI?

CARSI (CERNET Authentication and Resource Sharing Infrastructure) is an “academic ID” for university members. It lets you open the library's licensed databases from anywhere by signing in with your university account, without a VPN.

Available Resources

The full list for WUT: carsi.whut.edu.cn. Frequently used:

  • Chinese databases: CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP Chinese Journal Service, SuperStar Digital Library
  • International databases: Web of Science, Elsevier ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, IEEE Xplore, EBSCO

Why CARSI Instead of the VPN?

  • Nothing to install; it works in the browser.
  • One sign-in, few steps.
  • Works on computers, phones and tablets.
  • Connects straight to the database, faster than WebVPN and about as fast as aTrust.

Two Ways In

Way 1, starting from CARSI: open the CARSI resource portal, choose your university and sign in, then search for the resource.

Way 2, starting from the database (recommended, shorter and fewer session conflicts): open the database website, choose CARSI or institutional login, then sign in with WUT.

Example: CNKI

  1. Open www.cnki.net and click “Institutional Login” → “Off-Campus Access”.
  2. Search for and choose “Wuhan University of Technology”.
  3. Sign in on the 统一身份认证 page with your Smart WUT(智慧理工大) account. This page has an English link at the top. If you forgot the password, click 忘记密码.
  4. Accept the terms of service.
  5. Choose “Notify me when information changes”, then “Accept”.
  6. CNKI's home page now shows “Institutional Account: WUT”.

Notes

  • On campus, use the campus network directly. CARSI is for off-campus access. Use the VPN or CARSI, not both at once.
  • Some databases, such as Web of Science, need a recent browser: Chrome, Firefox or Edge.
  • Some resources, such as CNKI, limit how many people can use them at once. Sign out when you finish instead of leaving the session open.
  • CARSI is for current students and staff with an active Smart WUT(智慧理工大) account.
  • CARSI covers many popular databases, not all of them. What is available depends on the library's subscriptions.