Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't you post more PDF files?

This is an archiving project. PDF is a proprietary format which requires a special viewing software, and it's has changed dramatically over the years. PDF is based on postscript, which is already an ancient, proprietary, convoluted programming language for printers. In contrast, HTML from 20 years ago is still viewable with relatively few problems. In the worst case scenario, you can read HTML itself. So the loss of page-based formatting is a disadvantage, but the publishers own the copyrights for pagination, layout, etc. If you want the page numbers or manually composited figures, you'll have to download the journal's PDF files.

Another problem with PDF files is that they're difficult to search, both online and offline. So I'd rather post HTML when possible, but HTML doesn't do page layouts or animations very well. So reprints of posters and some MS Powerpoint oral presentations are unavoidably PDFs.

In a few cases, PDF files are the only format I have available. Sorry.

How can I make your papers print better? They're 20+ pages long when I try to print them.

Your browser probably doesn't have good support for CSS. The papers should load a printing-specific CSS style sheet when you view them in "Print Preview" mode. Try using a recent version of Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer. Also, reduce the "scaling" factor in "Print Preview" mode before printing them.

Why is there javascript on these pages?

The javascript is MathJax, which reformats the equations to best match the fonts available with your browser. The equations themselves are typeset in MathML, which has some native support in Firefox but not in Internet Explorer. In theory, MathML should be accessible to vision-impaired users.

What can I do with your work?

Ideally, you'd read it and reuse the ideas in your research. This website is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. That means you can use the ideas, text, equations, images, etc. in your own work provided that you reference the journal article or this website. For example, you can use the images as part of a presentation about the merits of the different methods described here.

However, you are not allowed to entirely duplicate this website and republish it as your own work. You are also not allowed to republish my papers, unchanged, in any other journals, international or elsewhere. Those unethical actions are plagiarism and violations of copyright.

I found a typo! Why doesn't this website exactly match the publisher's files?

I've posted the last version which I sent to the publisher, but changes can still occur after that. The copy editors at the publisher sometimes make mistakes (e.g., changing symbols in equations to match their standard fonts). This can change the entire meaning of an equation, which is unfortunate. C'est la vie.

How can I contact you?

Email djohn89@djohn89.com