How to Convert SSRN Papers to EPUB — Read Social Science Research on Kindle or Kobo
SSRN is where economists, lawyers, and finance researchers share their work before — and often instead of — formal journal publication. All papers are free to download. Converting to EPUB makes long working papers and law review articles significantly more comfortable to read on any e-reader.
What is SSRN?
The Social Science Research Network is the largest preprint repository for social sciences, law, and economics. Key facts:
- Founded 1994; now owned by Elsevier
- Over 1 million papers from 600,000+ authors
- Covers economics, finance, law, accounting, management, political science, sociology
- Free to download with a free account
- Working papers are often cited as primary sources in their fields
Downloading PDFs from SSRN
- Search for a paper at ssrn.com or find it via Google Scholar
- Open the paper page
- Click Download This Paper or the PDF button on the right
- If prompted, create a free SSRN account (email + password, takes ~1 minute)
- The PDF downloads to your computer
Converting to EPUB
- Go to pdf2epub.toolkit.bot
- Upload the SSRN PDF
- Wait ~30 seconds
- Download the EPUB
SSRN papers are typically single-column, single-spaced Word-generated documents. They convert to EPUB with excellent results — clean paragraph flow, preserved headings, and footnotes. Transfer to your Kindle, Kobo, or any e-reader.
Fields covered by SSRN
| Field | What you'll find |
|---|---|
| Economics | Working papers, policy analyses, econometric studies |
| Finance | Asset pricing, corporate finance, market microstructure |
| Law | Law review articles, legal scholarship, regulatory analysis |
| Accounting | Auditing, financial reporting, tax research |
| Management | Strategy, organizational behavior, operations |
| Political Science | Public policy, voting behavior, political economy |
Frequently asked questions
What is SSRN and who uses it?
SSRN (Social Science Research Network) is the leading preprint and working paper repository for economics, law, finance, accounting, management, political science, and related fields. It was founded in 1994 and is now owned by Elsevier. Economists, law professors, and finance researchers post working papers there — often years before formal journal publication, because social science peer review is notoriously slow. SSRN is free to access and download.
Do I need an account to download SSRN papers?
SSRN requires a free account to download most papers. Registration is free and takes about a minute — just an email and password. Some papers can be previewed without login but require an account to download the full PDF. After creating an account, all SSRN papers are freely downloadable. Unlike journal publishers, SSRN does not charge for access.
How do I download an SSRN paper as PDF?
On any SSRN paper page (ssrn.com), click the 'Download This Paper' button or the red PDF button on the right side. If you're not logged in, you'll be prompted to create a free account first. Once logged in, the PDF downloads directly. SSRN papers are typically formatted as standard single-column documents — they convert cleanly to EPUB.
Are SSRN working papers peer-reviewed?
Generally no — SSRN working papers are preprints shared before peer review. Some papers eventually appear in journals like the Journal of Finance, American Economic Review, or law reviews. Many working papers are circulated and cited as working papers for years without ever being formally published, which is common practice in economics and law. The working paper version is often the most cited version.
How do SSRN papers compare to arXiv for PDF conversion?
SSRN papers are mostly social science and law — often formatted as single-column documents with no LaTeX math, using Word or similar tools. They convert to EPUB very cleanly. arXiv papers (physics, math, CS) often use LaTeX with equations and two-column formats, which also convert well but may have occasional math rendering differences. Both convert better to EPUB than to phone screen PDFs.