This article compares the manner in which vendors of full-text databases deal with charts, diagrams, figures, and tables that were originally part of the periodical articles in print. Significant differences were found with some vendors providing PDF format and some only HTML/Text format. Among those that supply only HTML/Text format, some manage to include tables, etc., in one way or another, while others do not. Among those who do not, some leave marks or traces where the tables had been; others act as if the tables never existed. In one instance, databases provided directly from the owning vendor have both PDF format and HTML/Text-plus-graphics format, while the same databases in a third-party vendor's interface have neither PDF nor HTML/ Text-plus-graphics. Information professionals should be aware of the differences among vendors and call for them to include tables, etc., in order to provide end-users with the complete information expected.
(PS: As far as I know, this problem does not arise for OA journals.)
Posted by
Peter Suber at 7/08/2005 12:03:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
